Love, Honor, Quidditch
by The Werewolf Mage
Summary: Marauders 7th Year fic. Has OCs, some lighthearted moments, some stupid moments, some Peterbashing, just a bit, and, most importantly, LJ. Rating and Genres subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Love, Honor, Quidditch

Summary: Marauders 7th Year fic. Has OCs, some lighthearted moments, some stupid moments, some Peter-bashing, just a bit, and, most importantly, L/J.

Notes: Let's see... I hope this goes as well as I hope. Usually things either backfire or nobody reads it anymore.

Chapter 1

Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were waiting very impatiently for their other two best friends to rejoin them after their meeting in the Prefect's car. They had taken to occupy themselves with a good half dozen games of Wizard's Chess. With Sirius winning each time.

"Want another go?" Peter asked, reaching over to pick up the pieces of the set that had fallen on the floor.

Sirius waved his hand dismissively. "No. I'd win. You know I would. Besides, those two sound have been back by now. Unless James is making a fool of himself with his newly found Head Boy attitude."

"James hasn't got an attitude." Peter muttered.

Sirius opened his mouth to answer, but shut it and glanced up as the door slid open and in stepped Remus Lupin, half supporting James Potter, who looked as though he were deep in shock.

"Is he -- ?"

Peter's question was cut off by James, who sank onto the seat next to Sirius and whispered, "Evans... is Head Girl... to my Head Boy."

"Don't faint, Prongs." Sirius smirked. "We'll just leave you here. And by the by, how much did your parents pay Dumbledore to make you Head Boy?"

James managed a tiny smile and said, "Well, I lost track after the fifth bag of gold."

"We saw the other girls." Peter piped up.

"Yeah, we did." Sirius said, looking a bit excited. His grey eyes were glittering as he spoke again. "Moore's hit quite the growth spurt."

"Won't hinder her Quidditch ability, will it?" James asked quickly, his shock evaporating.

"Evans and Quidditch..." Sirius sighed dramatically. "That's all you care about, isn't it?"

"Why, yes," James answered, "yes it is."

"Some Head Boy you're going to be." Remus said, shaking his head. He settled himself down on the seat, kicked his trunk open and reached inside for a book. "I think you'll be the first to have his title stripped from him in 147 years."

Sirius politely reached over and snatched the book from Remus. "Moony, we aren't even at school yet. I forbid you to read until we at least step foot in the Great Hall."

"Now, now, mate," James began, "Moony's a big boy. He can do as he wants."

The four of them glanced up as the door slid open yet again. Four girls were standing in the door.

Lily Evans, at the front of the group, looked as though she would much rather be somewhere else. The same expression was mirrored on Gwendolyn Moore's face, though her lips were twitching to a smile. Celeste Helms was holding the door open, trying her best not to smirk. And Marci Morrow, Gwendolyn's cousin, was trying her best not to giggle.

"We just had to see it for ourselves." Celeste began, brushing a strand of brown hair out of her face. "The fact that you, James Potter, became Head Boy? Was Dumbledore thinking this summer?"

"I think he made the right choice." James argued, trying to look suave. "I can certainly exercise control better than Moony can." He ignored the glare that came from Remus's direction.

"Personally," Gen began, "I think Dumbledore did it in hopes you'd grow up."

"Impossible." Lily scoffed.

"I can grow up." James said in a very soft, childlike voice.

"No, you can't." Sirius scoffed. "It's not in your, mate. It really isn't."

"Thanks a whole lot, Sirius." James muttered, crossing him arms over his chest and pouting. "And you lot get out of here! We didn't invite you in here."

"Fine," Lily said coolly, "we didn't want to come in here anyway. Well, I didn't."

Sirius got up and slammed the door behind them. James continued to pout and the other four could barely make out "Insult me, will she? I'll show her, with her... her red hair, and her gorgeous green eyes, and that wit and..."

"James, please stop." Remus began. "Before you say something the three of us would rather not hear."

James resorted to sitting in the corner, his arms folded over his chest still, and muttering to himself until the four of them got up to change into their robes.

Sirius soon began complaining about the train seeming to go slower. He was getting hungry, and the dozen pumpkin pasties he had eaten around lunch did not help him any.

He let out a happy little cheer once they reached Hogsmeade station and he, Peter, and James attempted to push their way to the carriages.

"Excuse me, out of the way... Head Boy coming through... Thank you... Move it! Hey, nice hat." James called, trying to fight against the sea of fourth years.

Somehow, Remus, Sirius, and Peter had beaten him to a carriage and were saving it for him. But his attention was drawn to Lily Evans, who looked a little bit lost.

"Where are the other three?" he asked her.

"I've lost them." she murmured, before realizing who was talking to her. "But it's not like I need your help finding them." she added, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Come on, they'll catch up. You can go with us."

Lily looked at the other three boys over his shoulder and sighed, her arms dropping to her sides. "Fine. We'll catch them at the school, I suppose. They've probably left me anyway..."

She reluctantly, make that very reluctantly, headed over to the carriage. She ignored James's offer to help her in, instead taking Remus's hand and letting him help her in. James did not look too thrilled with that.

She sat as far away from the four Marauders as the little carriage would allow her and crossed her arms and legs, shooting the occasional glare at the four of them and refusing to join in the conversation.

Once at the doors of the school, she was last to get out. She placed her hand on Sirius's shoulder and hopped down, scurrying away as though that were the most traumatic experience of her life.

"Women." James muttered, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his robes.

"No, just that woman." Sirius corrected.

The four of them made their way into the Great Hall and to the Gryffindor House table. At the end, they could see Lily's red hair glittering in the candlelight. She had rejoined the girls and was most likely filling them in or telling them off for leaving her.

James ignored the Sorting, looking dejected. He knew Sirius was ignoring it as well, but could hear him moaning about how hungry he was.

What on earth had he ever done to Lily Evans? Why did she see him as the scum of the earth? And, more importantly, what could he do to fix that?

He was so lost in thought that he had not realized everyone else was eating until Sirius nudged him in the ribs and demanded he pass the chicken.

James handed the plate to him and numbly began to pile up his own plate, which he hardly picked at.

He did not get up until he felt a painful thump on the back of his head. He turned around to tell whomever it was off, but he managed a tiny smile instead.

"I think you need to get up and help the firsties." Gen smiled. "It's in your job description, after all."

"Oh, no... not the firsties!" James began dramatically. He took off his Head Boy badge and handed it to her. "Here, you can be Head Boy tonight."

"No thank you." she smiled. "But I'm glad you're not sulking anymore. When's Quidditch practice?"

"Haven't decided yet. We need to find another Chaser and Beater. So tryouts first." James replied, getting to his feet and yawning. "Better tame the wild firsties. See you in the morning, Moore."

"Have fun." she giggled, joining the throng of students making their way out of the doors.

James pinned his badge back on and tried his best to round up the first years. Which proved to be about as hard as training a troll to play Quidditch.

He was panting slightly as he lead the first years to Gryffindor Tower. 'At least I'm getting some exercise.' he thought. But unfortunately for him, he completely forgot the password. And the first years began to complain. Loudly.

"Cauldron Cakes." came a voice behind him. "It's Cauldron Cakes, Potter. Easy for the firsties to remember."

James glanced behind him and felt his cheeks grow warm. Lily looked smug as she helped the first years inside the Common Room.

"I still say Dumbledore was wrong." she whispered as she passed him. "Remus would have made a better Head Boy."

James ignored that stinging comment as he scrambled inside and immediately headed to the boys' dorms. He was silent as he and the other three changed into their pajamas and settled into bed. Maybe, just maybe, the year wouldn't be as bad as the first night at school was. Hopefully, it wasn't a sign of things to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 2

The next morning, James groaned loudly at the sight of his schedule. First thing that morning History of Magic, following by double Herbology, lunch, double Study of Ancient Runes, finished off by Potions.

Beside him, Sirius was leaning over, glancing at his schedule and clucking his tongue. "Rough day, mate. Why did you take Ancient Runes anyway?"

"Mum wanted me to." James said with a sigh.

"But, there is a good part of History of Magic being first." Sirius pointed out as the two of them got up and headed to the History of Magic classroom.

"Oh really? Having it with the Slytherins, with Binns droning about vampires and giant wars that, despite sounding interesting in passing, is the most boring thing in the world, and having Remus roll his eyes at us for not taking notes does not a good class make." James said in one breath.

"But Moony DOES take notes. Which means a nice nap for me. And you, if you can't sleep through Peter's snoring."

That was true, James had to agree. But what Sirius did not see while he was napping every History of Magic was Lily shaking her head at the sight of him not following Remus's lead and taking notes, too.

And he, as Head Boy, felt it was his duty to try to straighten things out for himself and not depend on Remus.

But two minutes into the lesson, he had completely forgotten his promise to himself and was absently working on a few plays the team could try at their first Quidditch practice.

"James, we haven't even been in class for five minutes -- " Remus began in a soft whisper.

"I know, I know!" James whispered back. "But, really, mate, I don't have the attention span to listen to this nonsense. So, please, be a gent, take the notes for us like you do every year. I'll apply myself in a class that deserves my attention."

"I'm sorry, by Quidditch isn't really a class, and neither is Lily." Remus said with a small smile.

"Who asked you?" James whispered, frowning.

"No one... but I felt I needed to say something."

"How come you never feel the need to say something when something needs to be said?" James asked, trying not to grin.

That shut Remus up.

James spent the rest of the lesson doodling on his parchment that he had taken out to take notes on. His doodles covered the one sentence he had managed to write down before getting bored.

"I shouldn't take notes for the three of you." Remus said as the four of them headed outside for Herbology.

"Well, sorry to say it, mate, but it wouldn't teach us anything." Sirius began.

"Yeah, like we'd really be so desperate about History of Magic grades that we'd take our own notes. Why do they even teach us these things, besides to bore us to death?" James asked dramatically. "Do you have answer for that, O Smart One?"

Remus opened his mouth to answer, but quickly shut it and looked away, but his gaze fell on Sirius, who was watching Gen pulled her long black hair back out of the corner of his eye.

"Hopeless." Remus sighed. "Utterly hopeless, the both of you."

"Do what?" James asked, looking a bit distracted himself as he glanced over to the group of girls.

Remus sighed softly and shook his head. "Never mind, I said nothing at all."

It seems as though he were the only one to pay attention to Professor Sprout as she discussed their N.E.W.T.S. Sirius and James were distracted by the group of girls, who were talking amongst themselves, and Peter was absently eying a long tentacle as it wriggled its way near him. The rest of the class was not bothering to listen, either.

Sprout started them off with a project they were going to have to check and water all term: growing their own batch of Flowering Fussblooms. The planting and care would take most of the double period because the seeds were so picky about where they were placed and how much water they received and how much sunlight would reach them each day.

"Why would anyone bother to take care of these?" James asked, scowling at the seed in his hand, which had wriggled itself out of three different places he had planted it.

"They're not really useful." Peter agreed in soft tones.

"They need to be stamped out." Sirius muttered, attempting to bury his, only to have it pop back out each time.

"Maybe they aren't useful for Potions," Remus began calmly, getting his third seed settled, "but they have to be useful for something. And being mean to the seed won't help you much Sirius."

Sirius glared at him but said nothing. He found this project a waste of time. What was Sprout thinking, giving them this project, especially on the first day!

An hour later and he, James, and Peter were complaining loudly about the project while attempting to eat their lunch at the same time. Remus merely nodded in agreement, knowing full well nothing he would say would get them to change their minds about it.

The talk soon turned to their remaining lessons of the day. "I do not want to go to Ancient Runes." James said, wracking his brains to find some excuse to get him out of class.

"I have a free period." Sirius said with a smirk.

"Muggle Studies." Peter said, finishing his last bite of lemon tart and wishing there were more.

"Divination." Remus said, getting to his feet and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "And speaking of, I'd better start heading that way. See you lot in Potions."

James and Peter soon found themselves heading off to their lessons, as well, while Sirius stretched and took his time heading to the Common Room.

"Ancient Runes, feh." James muttered, dragging himself along the hall. "Why did Mum ever talk me into taking it?"

He took a seat in the very back of the classroom and dragged out his textbook, not paying attention to the rest of the class as they settled themselves at their tables.

Until the chair next to him slid out and someone took it.

"Just because I'm sitting next to you, Potter, it does not mean anything." Lily Evans began, taking her own textbook out, along with quill, parchment, and ink.

"I didn't say it did." James said coolly. Despite his tone, he was more than surprised she had chose to sat next to him.

Lily glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then turned her attention to Professor Ginae, who began the lesson telling them what to expect, and what she expected from them, on their N.E.W.T.S. She finished by telling them that they would be reviewing that day.

"Books away." she called, flicking her wand and summoning several small cases to herself. "Divide yourselves into pairs. Lets see what you remember."

She set a case of runestones in front of them and handed each pair a piece of parchment depicting the stones and a space below each for their translation.

Twenty minutes into the lesson and between the two of them, he and Lily had finished most of their translations. Well, Lily did most of the work.

"This one, however," she said, more to herself than to James, "has me confused. Is it 'faith' or 'hope'?"

"Aren't they the same, really?" James asked, resting his head on his chin and trying not to show how surprised he was that she was actually cooperating with him.

"I guess so..." Lily sighed. "Let's just go with 'hope' and hope it's right."

"Fine with me." James said, adding the final answer to his sheet with a flourish. "Thanks."

Lily did not reply as she finished her own sheet. She was not thrilled with sitting next to James, but he had not acted out once. Maybe it had something to do with him being away from the other three?

'No,' she thought, 'that's not it. I don't think they have that much influence on them. It's more the other way 'round, really.'

She stayed behind to help Professor Ginae put away the boxes of stones in hopes that James would not wait behind for her. He did not.

'Good.' she thought, quickening her pace as she headed down to the dungeons.

She joined the class just as Slughorn opened the doors to the classroom. She tried not to show any signs of being flustered as she sat down next to Gen.

"Little late, aren't we?" Gen asked, pulling her hair back once more. She offered a ribbon to Lily, who thankfully took it and tied her own hair up.

"I stayed behind..." she filled Gen in the first Ancient Runes class of the year.

Gen tried her best not to smirk as Lily finished. "And he behaved? James actually behaved?"

"I know! It's... shocking."

"I think it was the boredom." Gen said softly. "It's the only thing that makes sense. He loves making himself into a fool when you're around. Give him a chance this year."

"No way." Lily said flatly, reaching across Gen to grab a couple vials for them to store their potion in once finished. "Gwennie, he's not going to grow up. There's just absolutely no chance of that. So no, I'm not."

"And he's going to be depressed when he hears that."

"Go on, tell him. See what I care." Lily said, igniting the logs underneath her cauldron. "Thank heavens Slughorn did not start lecturing us about the N.E.W.T.S." she added, hoping to change the subject.

Gen nodded in agreement. "I'm starting to get tired of hearing that, and it's just the first day back."

"We'll be hearing it a lot. Do you remember our fifth year?"

"Enough chit chat, girls, get to work!" Slughorn called.

The girls found no more time to talk during the lesson. And by the time they headed to dinner, Gen had forgotten what Lily had said about James.

Lily, however, was bound to remember. And bound not to let James have a chance that year.


	3. Chapter 3

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 3

"God, I'm glad there's no lessons on the weekend." James said with a ghost of a grin as he stretched and watched Gen pull her hair back into a ponytail. "And I'm glad we got the Pitch booked."

"So am I." Gen agreed. She tossed her brush into her bag and grabbed her broom. "The Slytherins are trying to make sure we don't get it, aren't they?"

"They are. Gits." James muttered, grabbing his own broom and following her out of the changing rooms. "Though, this, I dread. I HATE tryouts. Half of them are dreadful, half of them won't listen, half -- "

"I think you ran out of halves." Gen giggled.

James looked confused for a second, then smiled. "I did. Thank you for catching that."

"No problem. Now let's get this over with."

Gen and the rest of the team and down on the side of the Pitch as James sorted out the hopefuls. Hali, the Keeper, sat down next to her and whispered, "So, when are you and Potter becoming official?"

"What?" Gen asked. "No! He loves Lily Evans."

"And she's dating some Ravenclaw. Or so I've heard. Besides, you and him seem so... compatible."

Gen rolled her eyes. "He's just a friend. I don't fancy him. I fancy someone else."

"Oh, really?" Hali demanded, pushing her short brown hair out of her face. "Well, then, who would that be?"

"I'm not telling – WHOA!"

The two girls dove out of the way just as a Bludger hit the ground where Gen was sitting. The two of them started to shout at what appeared to be a second year while James merely shook his head.

"Please do NOT tell me you're keeping that kid." Gen said, seething, as James landed next to them. "He nearly killed us!"

"Which would be bad news to the Slytherins... if he could aim properly. No, I'm not keeping him. Do you realize almost all of these people here want to be Chasers? I don't think there's a half decent player here who wants to try out to be a Beater?"

"Well, do Chaser tryouts, then come back to Beaters. Maybe some of them will change their minds." Gen said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I am. And I need you two for that. So get off your bums and let's go."

The two girls rolled their eyes, but grabbed their brooms and kicked off.

The first two to try out could barely throw the Quaffle five feet. Gen scowled at James after what seemed to be the millionth time she dove to catch the bright red ball. He heard her swore to herself before tossing it to him.

"Mouth, Moore." he called sweetly

"Pot. Kettle. Black." Gen called back as she flew past him.

"She has a point." James said to himself. "But I would never admit that."

The next three to try all seemed to think 'toss the Quaffle to Moore' meant to try to knock her off her broom.

"Why is everyone aiming at my head?" Gen groaned, rubbing it with one hand and holding the Quaffle under her other arm.

"Because it's just the right target." James laughed. But he was not laughing as she chucked the Quaffle hard enough to, had he not caught it at the last second, cause some serious damage. "HEY!"

"Just the right target." Gen called with a teasing smile.

Amidst several bad throws, tantrums, and a shattered finger, the team found a Chaser in fourth year Allison Sunderland. She joined the rest of the team with a tiny smile to watch Beater tryouts.

The very first person to try, a small third year, did a far better job than anyone would have thought. The second and third were not too shabby either. But the fourth was terrible. She kept giggling and missing, until she finally hit the Bludger right into James, who hit the ground with an impressive thud.

"Oh, James! Are you OK?" Gen asked as she and the rest of the team surrounded him. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two." James groaned. "How many am I holding up?" He did a rude gesture.

"Oh, he's fine." Gen scoffed. "Get up and let's finish this."

He decided it was time to stop tryouts and award the position with Jason Lawler, the first to try out. With the second two, Carrie Merts and Henry Wilkins, getting the job of stand ins.

"How's your head?" Gen asked as they headed to the changing rooms.

"It's not bleeding. I'll live. And sorry about that."

"About what?" she asked, slipping back on her school robes and pulling her brush out of her bag once more.

"The hand gesture."

"It's fine." Gen shrugged, letting her long black hair free of its ponytail and beginning to brush it.

"May I ask you something?" James asked, watching her run the brush through her hair. He saw her raise her eyebrow and took it for a yes. "Why not cut your hair? I don't think hair down past your bum is very flattering."

"I like it." Gen argued.

"I don't think Remus does, either." James added in a whisper.

"Shu!" Gen glanced nervously around the changing room. "How many times have I told you to drop that?"

"Oh, I lost track. But don't let him slip through your fingers, Moore. You'll be depressed and it'll have a bad effect on your ability to focus. And I cannot let the Slytherins win this year!"

"Quidditch!" Gen sighed heavily. She got to her feet and went to stash her brush in her bag, but stopped and began to brush James's hair instead. "Lily doesn't like you messing yours up!" she hissed.

"Quit – stop – you're pulling it!" James whimpered, trying his best to get away from her and her brush.

"Oh don't be a baby, Potter." Gen scoffed, stashing her brush in her bag. She then glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital wing?"

"I'm fine." James said, waving his hand dismissively before grabbing his broom.

"OK... " Gen said weakly. She shouldered her own broom and followed him back to the castle and Gryffindor Tower, where they parted ways: he headed to Sirius, Remus, and Peter. She, to the girls' dorm.

"Find your Beater and Chaser?" Remus asked as James sat down.

"More like found a concussion." James muttered, rubbing his head. "But we do have a Chaser and a Beater. With some work, they should be decent."

"That bad?" Peter asked sympathetically.

"Oh, yeah." James said, ending with a yawn. "I'll do this later. I don't know that I could handle homework tonight. Besides, we've got all weekend."

As he passed the noticeboard, he spotted the date of the first Hogsmeade weekend. And one Lily Evans heading towards the girls' dorm.

"Hey, Evans!" he called, racing to catch her before she went up the stairs. "Hogsmeade trip, middle of October. Want to go with me?"

Lily crossed her arms over her chest. But then she seemed to relax. "Sure, Potter, I'll go with you..."

"You will?" James asked in disbelieve.

"When you GROW UP!" She turned on her heel and stormed up to the girls' dorm.

James sighed weakly and dragged himself to bed. He wanted to sleep all weekend, but that was out of the question. He had homework to do. And apparently some growing up to do as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 4

The four Marauders found themselves in the library the following afternoon. Sirius looked as though he'd much rather be anywhere else. Remus was fully engrossed in some Potions work. Peter looked confused as he shuffled through some of Remus's notes. And James, it seemed, was working harder than ever.

"Why do we have to do this now?" Sirius muttered, slamming his book and startling a couple second year girls. "Can't we wait until, oh, I don't know, a little closer to when it's due?"

"It's never good to put it off, Sirius. Who knows? We may have more to do around then."

Sirius stuck his tongue out at the back of Remus's head before reopening his book.

But a few minutes later and he was already bored and ready to cheat to get it over with. "James, give me your paper."

"Wha?" James glanced up, his quill in his hand, a spot of ink on his nose from being so close to his parchment. "No, I'm not done!"

"I don't care, just give it here and I'll copy what you've got."

"No!" James shouted, sheltered his parchment. "Let me finish and you can see!"

Sirius stared at him. "What are you doing? Usually you just hand it over."

"Almost done... and.. viola!" he said, holding out his parchment, on which was a crude drawing of a large woman. "It's Peter's mum!"

Even Remus's lips twitched in a smile as Sirius howled with laughter and Peter looked torn between laughing and making his own drawing of James's mother.

But then Remus had to go and burst James's bubble. "I thought Lily said you need to grow up?"

"Thanks a lot." James grumbled, stuffing the parchment in his bag.

"I'm just saying -- " Remus sighed softly as he cut himself off. "What would Lily think if she saw you doodling instead of doing your homework?"

"Let's go ask!" Sirius said with a grin as he fumbled through James's bag.

"Let's not." James muttered.

"You see what you've done?" Sirius demanded, rounding on Remus. "You've crushed the poor boy's spirit! I hope you're happy!"

"I did not mean to crush his spirit. Besides, he'll cheer up eventually." Remus said softly.

"Well, you're just a right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Sirius demanded. "What is it? The upcoming full moon or something?"

"Maybe." Remus replied, shutting his own book and stowing it in his bag. "I think I've done enough today. I'll see you three in the Common Room."

The three of them watched Remus head to the Common Room in confusion. "Now what was that about?" James demanded.

"No clue." Sirius said. But he was glad to follow Remus's lead as he shoved his own books into his bag. "But let's get back to the Common Room. It's boring in here. And amazing Pince hasn't chucked us out yet."

Peter nodded in agreement. He glanced over his shoulder as the three of them hurried to leave the library and catch up with Remus.

They caught him in the Charms corridor. His bag had ripped, or been ripped by Peeves, and he was grumbling to himself and trying to get a hold of everything and keep his ink bottle from breaking.

"Need any help?" James offered.

"No, I've got it." Remus said, slightly muffled as he had placed his quill in his mouth to keep from losing it too.

"Oh, come on," Sirius began, flicking his wand and summoning a few of Remus's books from his hands, "it's fine to ask for help every once and a while."

Remus just glanced at him before grabbing the last book. "Yeah, right. Peeve's way of helping is not very helpful. And he 'helps' without being asked."

"Well, we'll help. And mean it." James muttered, grabbing Remus's bag and repairing it. "Now that that's out of the way, what's the big hurry to get out of the library?" He put his hands on his hips in a very good imitation of his mother and stared at Remus, hoping that he would break and tell them.

"No reason..." Remus began, looking away. "Just felt we could use a break."

"Moony... you're hiding something." Sirius began.

"Yeah, this is almost exactly how you acted when you were hiding your furry little problem." James added. "So, spill. Maybe we can help you with it."

"I don't think I need help." Remus muttered, making a business of stuffing his things back in his bag and avoiding the other three's gaze.

"Oh, yes, you do." Sirius began, drawing his wand. "And we'll hex you if you don't let us help. Now, what's going on?"

"It's really nothing. Nothing that you lot should be making a huge fuss about, anyway."

"Fine, then. We'll just guess." James said, determined to help with whatever it was that was bothering Remus. "Homework, furry little problem, family issues -- "

"A girl?" Sirius demanded.

"It's not always about a girl." James scoffed. But then he caught Remus's reaction and immediately wished he could take it back.

"So, who is it?" Sirius demanded quickly. "And don't say no one, because it obviously is someone."

"I told you not to make a fuss about it!" Remus began hotly. He slung his bag over his shoulder and made to head off to the Common Room.

Sirius and James exchanged a look, while Peter looked on, clueless. "We need to figure out who this girl is and get them together." Sirius said softly, pocketing his wand.

"No matter who she is?" James asked softly, immediately thinking of Gen. And how crushed this would possibly make her.

But Sirius did not hear him. He seemed to be deep in thought as the three of them headed to the Common Room.

The three of them settled at an empty table near the windows and Sirius pulled out a bit of parchment. "James, help me out here." He began to make a list of girls in the seventh year. "Now help me try to decide if they're Remus's type or not."

"I'm not going to ask how you know all their names." Peter muttered, looking slightly awed nonetheless.

James sighed softly and tried his best to decide which girls Remus would be interested in. When they reached 'Gwendolyn Moore', Sirius immediately striked her out.

"What was that for?" James demanded.

"Gen and Moony? Can you see it?" Sirius demanded of him.

'I could.' James thought. 'So could she.'

Sirius seemed to think his silence was his answer. He continued on by himself and, at the end, had a list of a handful of girls.

"Now what do you plan on doing with that?" James asked as Sirius waved it around a bit to dry it, then tucked it away in his bag.

"What else? I'm going to try to get Moony's opinion on each one without him realizing what I'm doing."

'Poor Moony.' James thought. 'He has no idea what Sirius has in store for him. Quite frankly, I don't think I do, either.'


	5. Chapter 5

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 5

The four Marauders were sitting in the back of the dungeons, trying to talk between working on their potions. Which was actually proving harder than usual.

"Do you have any idea how much I hate potions?" Sirius muttered as he mashed scarab beetles. "I think I'll just buy mine made, thanks."

"I'm with you on that." Remus muttered, trying to peer through the glittery fog that filled the room to read the next line of instructions from his book.

"Or marry a nice girl who's great at mixing potions." James teased, which got him a couple whacks around the head.

"That's cheating, that is." Sirius said, stirring his potion and hoping it would change to the right shade of green.

"Is it?" James asked, raising an eyebrow, though he wasn't too sure if the others saw that through the smoke.

Remus did not answer. Neither did Peter. And Sirius had already convinced himself that it was a form of cheating. So, with a sigh, James went back to his potion.

At the end of class, the four left a sample of their potions with Slughorn and made to leave. James had a free period the next lesson and he felt he could use the time in the Common Room, finished homework he had put off.

Or to practice his doodles.

But boy wasn't he surprised when the portrait hole opened and Lily Evans came in, looking flustered. She did not seem to see him as she dropped her back next to a chair and flopped down in it. It was only when she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration that she spotted James.

"Free period, too?" James asked innocently, hiding the parchment he was doodling on in case she saw it and criticized him for it.

"Yeah..." she said slowly. "Free period."

"Anything bothering you?" James asked innocently, hearing the anger in her voice.

"No, nothing really." she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. She figured that he was only asking to keep up conversation. Or lull her into a false sense of security.

And she was not in the best of moods anyway.

She decided it may be best to ignore James. She fumbled around in her bag and pulled out her Transfiguration book. She had an essay to finish, about three more inches or so, on Complex Switching Spells. She was hoping she could finish before the class after lunch.

A few minutes later, she was well aware of James watching her out of the corner of his eye. And she was growing frustrated with her homework.

She felt she had covered every point, but she lacked about three more inches. She absently stuck the end of her quill in her mouth and scowled at her parchment.

Her handwriting wasn't the smallest in the world. And she could think of nothing more to add. But it felt as though she had left something important out.

It wasn't until she heard him say "You've covered switching things in different rooms. What about switching things in different towns, cities, countries?" did she realize that James was reading her essay over her shoulder.

"Thanks." she muttered, sound more than a little harassed. She rustled her parchment, hoping that he would go back to his own homework or whatever it was he was doing.

Once she began to write, he leaned a bit closer to read, seeing as how she was trying her best to cover it up so he could not see.

She heard him sigh faintly and head back to his table. She then heard the rustle of his own parchment and called, "OK, if it'll keep you from sulking, I'll tell you what Slughorn asked me to do. He asked me to tutor someone in Potions."

"Who?" James asked, turning to face her.

"Snape."

She then heard the sounds of his chair hitting the floor. She did not bother to turn around and look to see what happened.

"What?" James demanded, trying to disentangle himself from his robes. "Why?"

"Because he's terrible, obviously." Lily scoffed, finished her final sentence and rolling her parchment up. She tucked it away safely in her bag and glanced at the her watch. It was nearly lunchtime. She figured she could start heading to the Great Hall. She'd be there in time for lunch.

She found herself hoping that James would not follow her lead as she swung her bag over her shoulder. Or, worse, finding out which classroom Snape was in at the time or waiting outside the Great Hall for him just so he could hex him.

'It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't hex everyone.' Lily thought. "I mean, if he didn't make it out to be the next Wizarding sport, then he'd actually be -- whoa, Lily, don't think that now. James Potter will never drop hexing people. No matter what the other girls try to tell you."

And what was his vendetta against Snape anyway? Why did those two hate each other?

She stopped at the head of the stairs and sighed. Why was she even thinking this way? She knew she's never date James, she'd never love him, so why think of him as sweet or kind or whatever it was that was going through her head?

'And it's not just because he helped me with that bloody essay.' she thought, resuming her trip down the stairs. 'What is wrong in my head?'

She tried her best to shake the thought from her mind. And she did manage once she reached the doors to the Great Hall.

Stay out here and wait for the girls? Or go inside?

Lily decided to wait. She sat down with her back against the wall and pulled out a cherry scented tube of lip gloss she had 'borrowed' from Gen. She had completely forgotten her own makeup and sent an owl to her parents. Which she had not got back yet.

'Knowing Petunia, she probably got to it first.' Lily thought. 'Though she's said before she'd never touch an owl. I wouldn't put it past her.'

She recapped the lip gloss and stuck it back in her bag. Gen had not noticed it missing, but she should still return it just in case.

Lily got to her feet again as she heard the bell and the distant stampeding of the classes as they let out. Soon Celeste had joined her, then Marci, and lastly Gen.

"Have a nice free period?" Celeste asked as the four of them settled down at the table and began to eat. "You know, I didn't hear what Sluggy wanted from you. What's going on? You two getting hitched or something?"

"No, he wants me to be a tutor." Lily said, rolling her eyes and reaching into her bag. She removed the lip gloss and handed it to Gen, who did not ask, but merely pocketed it.

"Who are you tutoring? Gwennie?" Celeste asked after swallowing a mouthful of sprouts.

"Snape." Lily said with a note of disgust in her voice. She was immediately surrounded with sympathetic looks from the other girls. 

"At least it's not Potter." Celeste pointed out.

"I think that would be better than Snape. It's going to be 'Mudblood, Mudblood, Mudblood' every other second."

"Sounds like Sluggy's inhaled far too many potion fumes." Gen muttered.

"Makes sense." Celeste giggled. "A Slytherin and Gryffindor, getting along, and learning the fine, yet horrible, art of making potions. What will he think of next?"

"I don't think I want to know." Lily muttered dryly. But she figured they would probably find out.


	6. Chapter 6

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: I apologize about the length, next chapter will be longer.

Chapter 6

"Snape. She's tutoring Snape in Potions."

James still was not getting over it as the four of them crashed in their dorm. He kicked off his shoes and flopped onto Sirius's bed before Sirius could, as it was closest to the door and he did not feel like walking to his.

"Well, mate, not a whole lot you can do about it." Sirius said, glaring at him as he dropped his bag on his bed, almost hitting James with it.

"I'll have to agree with Sirius." Remus had already settled himself on his bed, his bag on the floor. He was ready to go to bed, but James was not going to let that happen.

"I didn't ask that, though. And who says I'll do something?" James asked hotly.

Peter chanced a glance at him before timidly saying, "James, it's Snape."

Sirius and Remus had to agree that that was all that needed to be said. Though Remus also thought that James would probably be angry to hear Lily tutoring any male student. But not as angry as he would be with Snape.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Can't, can I?" James asked, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. "Lily says I need to grow up, so..."

The other three stared at him. Was he being serious about that?

It was very hard to tell with James.

Silently, the four of them changed out of their robes and into their pajamas. James was determined to remain quiet, but Sirius was curious, and a little bit eager, to hear what James would like to do to Snape.

"Oh, come on. Tamper with his ingredients, change the instructions in his book, take -- "

James cut him off with a glare. "Not if Evans is nearby and whatever happens could affect her."

Sirius stared at James in disbelief. Hadn't James once threatened to hex her? Even though they all knew he had not meant it.

He slowly shook his head as James settled into his bed, and pulled the hangings around himself, signaling that he thought their conversation was over. But James was probably not going to sleep.

He glanced around the room and sighed faintly as the other two got into their beds and pulled their hangings shut, too. Looks like they'd have to continue their little chat in the morning.

Sirius was the last one up the next morning, and extremely glad it was a weekend, because he knew McGonagall would have his head if he were late. But the other three were not in the dorm.

He dressed and stretched and glanced at his watch. He was almost late for breakfast, though, and that was almost as bad as being late for class in his mind.

Sirius raced down the stairs and right into Gwendolyn Moore.

"Watch it, Black." she grumbled, picking herself and her books off the floor and glaring at him. "Breakfast isn't going anywhere. And if it is, well, you'll just sneak down to the kitchens like James says the two of you do."

"Hey, Moore!" he called as she walked off. "Moore! Hogsmeade weekend, going with anyone?"

"No." she replied coolly. "I don't plan to go."

"Not even if I asked you?" Sirius asked, making his way over to her table, completely forgetting about breakfast.

"Especially not if you asked me." Gen muttered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got homework to finish and I can't with you watching me like I'm the most interesting girl in school."

Sirius stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what he was going to say to her. But she was content to ignore him. So, he heaved a sigh and made his way down to the Great Hall.

"Sleeping late?" James teased as Sirius sank down next to his, looking a bit disgruntled. James folded the letter from his mother and stuck it into his pocket. "Mum sends her love."

"Moore doesn't." Sirius grumbled, impolitely reaching past James for a handful of toast.

"Oooh."

"Where are the other two?" Sirius asked, pausing with a piece of toast halfway to his mouth.

"Remus was heading back to the Common Room, I believe. Peter was off to the Owlery. So, when are you going to set your plan with Remus into action?"

"Later." Sirius muttered. "Can't without him here, now can I?"

"True..." James muttered. "You're not... going to damage the poor fellow mentally, are you?"

Sirius waved his hand dismissively. He had almost entirely forgotten about his plans for Moony, but not entirely. And the idea took his mind off Gen for the time being.

The two of them were among the last to finish their breakfast and dragged themselves back to the Common Room. James was beginning to feel apprehensive about asking Sirius how his little plans. And if Remus found out he had something to do with it, well, there was no telling what would happen.

The first thing they spotted was Gen leaning over the table where Remus was, nodding and pointing to something in his book. As they approached, they heard her thank him and leave the table.

"What was that about?" Sirius asked, trying to keep his tone normal.

"She wanted a bit of help." Remus muttered, turning a couple pages in his book. He glanced at Sirius, then asked, "Why?"

"Oh, no reason."

James shifted uncomfortably in his seat, vaguely wondering if anyone had book the Quidditch Pitch that day. He did not feel like getting into a row with his friends.

But the two of them did not continue their conversation. But James did notice Sirius glancing around the Common Room on occasion, and not in the direction of Gen, Lily, Celeste, and Marci.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Nothing." Sirius said.

But when Sirius said 'nothing', especially in that kind of tone, he was up to something.

"You'd better not..." James began defensively.

"I'm not going to do anything drastic." Sirius muttered. He then cut himself off as he noticed Remus glancing at the two of them.

He was thankful for the distraction Peter caused as he joined them.

"So, what were you sending, anyway?" he asked, twirling his quill between his fingers.

"My aunt's birthday is coming up." Peter muttered, reaching into his bag and pulling out his Transfiguration textbook. "Can you believe McGonagall is giving up a test already?"

"It's McGonagall, isn't it?" Sirius scoffed.

"Right..."

James found himself glad that Sirius, too, soon engrossed himself in his Transfiguration homework and book. Maybe he could find a chance to warn Remus that Sirius had something up his sleeves.

He felt Remus definitely deserved one.


	7. Chapter 7

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 7

The four Marauders found themselves settled under their favorite beech tree one Saturday afternoon. Even Remus had put away his books and homework and felt the need to just be lazy.

But James was starting to feel antsy. He had yet to warn Remus about Sirius's little idea. And he had no idea when Sirius was going to set it in motion.

He glanced nervously at Remus, who looked blissfully unaware of anything. They had not bothered him about this girl again. And he found himself hoping that it was Gen. For her sake, mainly.

'How can he push Remus into something like this?' James asked himself, looking to Sirius, who was having no problem catching the eye of a couple Ravenclaw girls who had sat down near them for just that reason.

James found himself stifling a yawn and longing to go back inside. Mainly to see if he could say anything to Remus before Sirius started anything. But the other three were content outside, so he could not force them to go inside with him.

But he did have an idea for going inside.

"Want anything?" he asked, pulling out his Invisibility Cloak.

"Grab me some sweets." Sirius said, his attention finally broken from the girls.

"Me too."

"Anything, Moony?" James asked.

Remus glanced at up him, then got to his feet. "No, not really, but I can go, too. I'm sure you'll need a hand carrying all that back here."

'Thank you!' James thought silently.

The two of them waited until they were inside the castle to hide under the cloak. James was starting to think he should find some sort of distraction so they could take longer to the get to the kitchen, and he could talk to Remus, when Remus asked, "Anything on your mind, James?"

James was silent for a minute, but then he asked, "Oh, so now you can see into my head?"

"It just seemed like it." Remus shrugged.

James did not get the chance to speak right away as the two of them padded silently down the corridor. Just ahead was their favorite Gryffindor girls, on their way back to the Common Room. They, too, had come from the grounds, though the boys had not seen them outside.

"Shall we follow them?" James whispered.

"No." Remus said softly. "Let's just... go get that food."

"Oh?" James asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is it one of them?"

"Maybe." Remus replied, hoping that James could not see him blush. "Maybe not."

James glanced at him out of the corner of his eye as they headed downstairs while the girls went up. "You know," he began, pulling the cloak off them, "Sirius has something in mind for you."

"I figured as much." Remus said, watching James fold the cloak and place it under his arm. "I think I would be more surprised if he didn't."

James grinned and said, "Makes sense. I just felt I should warn you. He even made a list."

Remus stopped and stared at James. "He did what?" he asked, torn between groaning loudly and laughing.

"Mm-hmm. Made a list of most of the girls in school from the looks of it and tried to find out your type."

"My type?" Remus asked, this time laughing. "How would he even know that?"

"It's Sirius." James answered. "Go from there."

Remus seemed to be in a better mood as the two of them continued on their way to the kitchen, where the House Elves were happy to see them and load them down with sweets, no matter how much Remus argued that he was not hungry.

On the way back outside, James asked, "So... what are you planning on doing when he decides to pull of this little plot of his?"

"Try my best to ignore it." Remus replied. "What else can I do, besides hex him?"

James was quiet. What else could Remus do, indeed? And, better yet, was he expected to side with Sirius? Or even help him?

He figured Sirius was probably hoping, no, would probably demand, that he help set Remus up with whomever he saw fit. And James did not feel like being a match maker.

He couldn't even get his own girl!

Which, the thought did not make him feel better. He took a large bite from a tart to try to take his mind off that thought.

Remus noticed that something else was on James's mind. "Oh, James, whatever it is, it's not that bad, I'm sure. Just because... whatever you're thinking is bad, doesn't mean it all is."

"Do what now?" James asked, not noticing that Remus had said something.

"Never mind." Remus sighed.

The two of them remained silent until they were out on the grounds again. It had gotten a bit cloudy since they were inside the castle.

"You think it'll rain?" James asked, glancing at Remus.

"I don't see why a bit of rain would hurt anything." Remus shrugged, wondering where that question came from.

"Yes, it would. Tomorrow, we've got Quidditch Practice. And I hate playing the rain!"

Remus rolled his eyes. James could play better in the rain than he could in sunny weather. Or just as good. He had no reason to complain about a bit of rain. If anything, Gen did.

"What took you two so long?" Sirius demanded.

"No reason." James began casually. "We just, ah, took a bit longer because of the House Elves. You know how they can be. Say you want to leave and they find something else to give you."

"Yeah..." Sirius began slowly. He was starting to feel a bit suspicious. "Yeah, I know how they are. My family's had them for ages, haven't they?"

"That they have. Do you miss having them wait on you hand and foot?" James teased. "all we've got is Kneazles. I wonder if they can be trained to become kind of like House Elves?"

"I don't know," Sirius said, his mouth full, "but I'd pay to see you try."

"Why would I try?" James demanded. "We'd make Peter do it!"

Remus shook his head as he listened to them bicker. Sometimes he felt he may be better off without them, but they were his friends, no matter how annoying they could be.

And these three were doing their best to be annoying.

So he set off to the Common Room a little while later. He had no more work to do, and was glad for the lazy weekend. He needed to rest anyway. The full moon was in a week.

He settled down in one of the chairs nearest the fire in the Common Room and found himself yawning.

"Not been sleeping well?"

He glanced up and found himself facing Marci Morrow, Gwendolyn Moore's shorter, blonde cousin.

"No," he said apologetically, "I guess I haven't."

"I don't think any of us are." she said softly. "The way the professors are working us, you would think the N.E.W.T.S. were next week!"

"You would." he agreed. "But they're just trying to prepare us, even though it does seem a bit early for that."

"They do seem to have our best interests at heart. Though they're pushing those interests and, I know some of us, namely Gwennie, are not enjoying that."

He smiled faintly and said, "No, but we've got to get used to it. Tell her that, will you?"

"I will." she nodded. "And you, I think, could use a nap. Now I'm not trying to push you, but why don't you go upstairs and nap, hmm? From what Sirius has been saying, it's a bit hard to sleep in a room with Peter at night."

"It is." he agreed, getting to his feet. "And I think I will, thank you."

"Sleep tight." she smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 8

It had begun to rain the night before and it had not slacked off in the least the following morning when Gen, James, and the rest of the team dragged themselves down to the Quidditch Pitch for practice. Though, from the sound of Gen's annoyed groans, she was hoping that practice would be canceled.

"Why cancel?" James asked her as the team changed into their robes. "It could be raining like this when we face Hufflepuff."

Gen merely scowled as she pulled her hair out of her robes and tied it back.

James smirked at her before dragging her and the rest of the team outside.

"I think we need to practice passing first."

"Why?" Gen scoffed, leaning against her broom. "You and I can pass like no one else's business."

"Allison needs to practice." James replied.

Gen scoffed yet again, but flew off as James grabbed the crate of balls. She caught the Quaffle as James tossed it to her. She quickly tossed it to Allison, who missed. She flew off to retrieve it and came back, blushing. Her blush deepened as she caught sight of Gen's expression.

James shot Gen a warning glare, but he said nothing to her as he caught the Quaffle and passed it on to Hali.

After a few long minutes of passing, James released one of the Bludgers and the Beaters took their clubs.

"If someone hits me..." Gen began threateningly.

"Then I'll let you beat them with their clubs." James said with a tiny smile.

Gen cracked a smile of her own and pulled her hair down, squeezed a bit of rain water from it, then tied it back up. She hopped back on her broom and was chatting and tossing the Quaffle between herself and Hali while Allison looked on.

Gen found herself having to pull Allison out of the way as a Bludger came towards them. "You need to learn to watch." she said with a scowl.

Allison nodded slowly and tried to ignore Hali and Gen, who had both chosen to pay her no mind.

She seemed miserable at the end of practice, dragging along and making sure Gen and Hali and the rest of the team was gone. Except James, who was busy putting things away and had not noticed Allison dragging behind until he turned and saw her dragging herself to the door.

"Anything wrong?" James asked, grabbing his own robes and broom, not bothering to change.

"Nothing." she said, so softly that he barely heard her.

"Doesn't seem like nothing." James replied, joining her at the door. The two of them peered out and into the rain, which seemed to have slacked just a bit.

Allison fidgeted and looked as though she wanted to be far away from James at that moment. Then, she sniffled and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"Now I know it's not nothing." James told her. "What is it?"

Allison glanced at him, her green eyes brimming with tears. "You're her friend, you won't want to hear it." she whispered.

"Won't want to hear about what?" James asked.

Allison sighed softly, then repeated what had happened between her, Gen, and Hali. "I don't like her very much." she finished.

James raised an eyebrow. "She was right that you need to learn to watch out, but I will talk to her, if it'll make you feel better. I can't have my team fighting amongst themselves."

Allison managed a tiny smile. She thanked him and raced off through the rain and back to the school. James took his time making his way back to the Common Room.

By the time he reached the Common Room, he was drenched, and partly glad he had not changed out of his Quidditch things just yet. He raced upstairs to change and came back down and flopped down at the table where Sirius and Peter were playing Wizard's Chess and Remus was watching, seemingly bored.

When in all reality, he was trying not to doze.

"Want to play the winner, Prongs?" Sirius asked, watching as one of Peter's bishops beat one of his pawns mercilessly.

"No thanks. Seen Moore?"

"She hasn't come back." Sirius answered. "I thought she was still with you. Might be in the library. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." James grumbled, taking a position similar to Remus's, with his chin resting on his folded arms.

Sirius rolled his eyes and let his remaining pawns gang up on Peter's rook.

Sirius wound up winning, as usual. "Sure you don't want to play?" Sirius asked.

"Positive." James said, sitting up as he spotted Gen coming through the portrait hole, laden with books. "Be right back." he told them, getting up and racing over to her.

"Can we -- "

"No, I'm busy." she replied, dropping her books onto the table with a loud thump.

"With what?" James demanded. "Surely you don't have that much homework, and surely, you won't be needing all these books for whatever homework you have?"

"No, I got them for the other girls, too." Gen replied. "Wherever they ran off to after asking me to get their books." she added dryly.

"What's with the attitude?" James asked, changing the subject.

"What attitude?" she asked, opening the book nearest to her and thumbing through it. "You know how I am." she continued, finding the page she needed and pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill.

"I know, but that doesn't mean being mean to our Chaser."

Gen glanced at him, her hand in her bag, enclosed around her bottle of ink. "I was not mean to her, James. She's rubbish. I don't know if she cheated when we had tryouts, but she's horrible."

"She's intimidated. That's obvious." James told her.

"You know what?" Gen asked, taking out her ink and unscrewing the lid. "If you would much rather take up for someone who's terrible, then find you a new Chaser. I don't want to be on a team where just you and I are pulling everyone else's weight!"

"We aren't. That's what practice is for." James sighed.

"Well her and that Lawler kid, if they aren't better within the first match, then find you someone else to be Chaser." Gen said sweetly. "Now, go on back to your git friends. I've got homework. And I can't ride by on good looks and whatever else you use to get by the teachers."

James sighed softly and left her to her work.

"And what was that about?" Sirius asked as James rejoined them.

"I'll explain it later." James said, feeling as though he were getting a headache.

He had his own homework to do, but with a headache, he found himself unable to concentrate. It was due in a few days, anyway. Putting it off one more night wouldn't kill him, he was sure.

Plus, he could always copy Remus's or Sirius's.

Right then, he wanted to be in bed. But if this was a sign of the way things were going to continue, then he should stay in bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 9

James, Sirius, and Peter found themselves dragging. They had dropped Remus off at the Hospital Wing, he had given them hell the night before, and, even though all three of them wanted to go to bed and sleep for the day, they had to go to lessons.

And no History of Magic, so no sleeping, either.

Charms was first. Sirius found himself constantly poking Peter with the end of his quill to wake him up. Finally, after about a quarter of an hour of poking, he quit and decided to let Flitwick catch Peter snoozing.

James shook his head as was trying to listen to Flitwick, but found himself wanting to doze as well. He did not hear the Charm they were supposed to be practicing, which resulted in the large white rabbit placed in front of him to hop off across the room.

"Go get your rabbit, James." Sirius said, holding his own black bunny down.

"Do I have to?" James asked.

"Yes."

The rabbit was cowering in fear under Lily's desk. She scoffed and said, "Poor thing. I think I'd run away, too."

"Give me the rabbit, Evans." James muttered. He was not in the mood for this. At all.

When she did not, he dropped down on all fours and reached under the desk, which called for an outraged shriek from Lily. James ignored her as he grabbed the rabbit by the scruff and carried it back to his desk.

Sirius looked as though he were torn between laughing and shaking his head. "Did you enjoy that?" he asked, his hand still resting on his rabbit.

"If I weren't so sleepy, I'm sure I would have." James answered.

Sirius cracked a smile and turned his attention back to his rabbit.

But he was not smiling when Flitwick held them back at the end of class. He assigned them extra practice, and held the threat of a tutor over their heads.

"Horrible." Sirius sighed. "Me? With a tutor? I think..." he trailed off as he caught sight of Gwendolyn Moore passing by. "I think I could possibly live with that, depending on who it is..."

"Gen's rubbish in Charms." James pointed out.

Sirius swore loudly and ignored the first years who were behind him as they stared at him.

They dragged themselves down to the dungeons for Potions. Which James was not very tempted to go to, mainly seeing as how Snape would be there. And how he had not seen him since Lily had told him about the tutoring.

He tossed his bag next to the nearest empty table and flopped down at it, followed quickly by Sirius and Peter. "Wonder what we're stuck doing today, boys?" James asked under his breath.

"Something hard and boring such as -- "

"Love potions!" Slughorn said, clapping his hands together and staring at his student.

James could not help but grin at the sight of Sirius groaning loudly and dropping his head, so that it hit their table with a very impressive thunk.

James ignored Slughorn as he went on about how he was hoping to wait to do these until Valentine's Day, but he could not wait any longer. James secretly suspected Slughorn was going to keep them all, let them age, then sell them on Valentine's Day.

'He's exploiting us! Oh, boy, I think I'd love to see someone take Peter's. That'll be a mess, and probably a funny one at that.' James thought.

He was snapped back to attention by a disgusted-looking Lily Evans taking the seat next to him.

"Wha?"

"Sluggy's partnered us." she said with a scowl.

"OK..." James began slowly. Even though he was tired, he figured he may as well try to pay attention and help Lily. Even though he could care less about love potions and more about trying to think of reasons why Slughorn wanted love potions from them and what else he had probably sold.

He was so caught up in his conspiracies that he did not hear Lily as she asked him to pass the newt scales for the dozenth time.

She let out a loud groan and reached across him, plucked the small bottle off the table and returned to their potion.

"Are you are going to help me or stare at the wall?" she hissed.

"Huh? Oh, sorry... did you ask me for something?"

"I did," she began hotly, "but I got it myself, thanks."

James quickly muttered an apology, which she ignored. He glanced around the room, caught Sirius's eye and saw him wink. He had been partnered with Gen and could not be happier. She looked as though she were ready to decapitate Slughorn.

As Lily worked, and James handed her whatever she needed and read the instructions to her, their potion was taking on a light mother-of-pearl shade and James noticed several students, mostly the girls, began to blush whenever they caught a whiff of it. He smirked.

Until he caught sight of Lily blushing as well. He vaguely wondered what the potion smelled like to her.

She, it seemed, was the first one to get out of the classroom when the bell rang, leaving James to bottle their potion and give it to Slughorn. He wondered if he could have caught her.

He couldn't, but the other three Gryffindor girls caught up to her easily. Gen was grumbling something about Sirius Black that Celeste was snickering about and that clearly did not suit Marci well at all.

"Are you OK?" Gen asked, catching sight of Lily.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just fine."

"Then why aren't you going to lunch?" Marci asked.

"I'm not hungry." Lily replied, heading for the staircase. "And I... just remembered I have homework I didn't entirely finish for my next class."

"Lily, you have a free period." Gen pointed out.

She and the other two dragged Lily into the nearest empty classroom. Celeste shut the door and leaned against it, making sure Lily had no means of escape.

"So, what's wrong?" she demanded.

"You guys, it's nothing... Really. Please, can you let me out?"

"Not until you tell us what's wrong." Marci said, hopping onto the nearest desk. She was so short her legs did not reach the floor. She swung them back and forth and waited patiently for Lily to answer.

"It's..."

"It's not nothing." Celeste said sweetly. "Come on. You look beyond flustered. What happened?"

Lily absently twirled a strand of red hair around her fingers. She sighed and said, so quickly that the other three could barely understand her, "I smelled his cologne, OK?"

"You what?" Gen and Marci asked together.

"Well, he was right there and he tends to bathe in it..." Celeste said, trailing off, her brown eyes widening in surprise.

"It means what I think it means, right?" Lily asked in a squeaky, feeble little tone.

Celeste nodded slowly. "You fancy James."


	10. Chapter 10

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 10

"But I can't like James!" Lily wailed, sinking onto her bed that night. "He's... he's so arrogant and he's a huge git and... and..."

The other girls sighed softly and shook their heads as Lily buried her face in her pillow.

"He's not your type?" Marci suggested sweetly.

Gen glanced at her cousin while Celeste managed a tiny smile. "Frankly, Lils, if he's willing to change for you, that's saying a whole lot. Though... with James Potter... saying and doing seem to be two completely different things."

"But I don't WANT to like James Potter!" came Lily's muffled reply.

"Well... we can't help that, can we?" Gen asked. She meant it to be sincere, but Lily must have taken it the wrong way as she did not reply.

"Unless we steal some of those love potions we made today." Celeste said slowly. "And get him to fall in love with someone else..."

"Or something." Marci giggled.

"Oh, he already loves his broom, and his mirror, and that Snitch he stole and..."

The girls trailed off into an awkward silence.

"Well," Celeste began, sitting down on the foot on Lily's bed, "I guess... we can sleep on this. You know, if you can. But just because you seem to fancy him or you're attracted to him or whatever doesn't mean you two are going to wind up together."

"Unless he spikes my morning pumpkin juice with love potion."

"Sounds like something James would do." Gen sighed. "Listen, let's just get to bed. We've got that test in Transfiguration in the morning. And I don't know how I'm going to stomach that."

The four girls exchanged sympathetic looks and nervous little smiles as they changed into their pajamas and crawled up under their blankets.

Gen and Marci were quickly asleep. Celeste was willing to stay up and talk to Lily if she wanted her to, but she, too, was tired and wound up falling asleep very quickly.

Lily, as distraught as she seemed, also fell asleep within minutes. Though it was a very restless sleep.

The four of them were up bright and early the next morning. And they all slept, unlike James, who seemed to be falling asleep in his porridge. Lily was trying her best not to look at him or catch his attention.

The girls seemed to be the first to finish their breakfast. They headed to the Transfiguration classroom and waited until McGonagall let them, and the rest of the class, inside.

Lily did her best to take a seat as far from James as she could get. She took the first empty seat in front. She knew James was always trying to get the seat by the door so he could be the first out.

But he actually took the seat behind her. Either to get close to her or his seat was taken.

She sighed softly and tried to get engrossed in her test. It may have been her imagination, but she would have sworn James that poking her in the back with his quill. But every time she turned to see if he was, he was engrossed in his own paper.

Until a small, neatly folded square of parchment landed right on her test.

_Sorry to bother, Evans, but is anything on your mind?_

_Personally, Potter –_ Lily scribbled out her answer and groaned softly. She was not going to reply to that.

She crumpled the parchment and tossed it over her shoulder, where it landed on James's desk.

He unraveled the ball of parchment as McGonagall passed him. He smiled faintly at the scribbled reply, then hastily wrote _That's not the answer I wanted to hear. I guess I can ask Moore. She'll tell me._

_She had better not._

Lily's eyes widened in shock as she realized she had not only replied to James, but tossed the parchment back to him.

"No." she whispered softly. She shook herself slightly, trying to clear her mind.

With a glance at her parchment she sighed heavily. She had not answered half of the answers. And she was unsure of how much time had passed.

'Ignore him, Lily.' she told herself, straightening her parchment. 'Just ignore his stupid little notes like you always do. McGonagall cannot catch you if you don't answer. He'll stop it. Once he sees you aren't interested.'

She finished the rest of her test quickly, sure she had not managed a pass, but at least confident she had not gotten a Troll.

And James had not bothered her again. Which was definitely a plus.

But then, she saw another piece of parchment resting next to her bottle of ink. How long had that been there?

Lily scowled as she unfolded it and found herself face-to-face, yet again, with James's handwriting.

_Now I'm really curious. What's the matter?_

_Leave me alone, Potter! _she wrote back. _Why do you waste your time? Just stop writing me these stupid little notes!_

As she went to place it on his desk, she heard, "Evans! Potter! Detention."

She hung her head and avoided anyone's gaze for the rest of the class. Thankfully, the test was so long that there were only a few minutes left in the lesson when the last person had finished.

The other girls waited outside of the classroom as she tried to explain to Professor McGonagall what was going on. But McGonagall was not budging.

"What was he asking?" Celeste asked as Lily joined them outside the classroom, looking sour. "You on a date again?"

"He was asking me what was wrong." she said with a huff. She hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder and made to storm off. Celeste grabbed her arm and the four of them slowly walked to the Charms classroom, talking the whole way.

"And?" Gen asked.

"I crumpled it up and threw it back behind me. I did not mean for it to land on his desk. He said something about that not being what he wanted to hear. I told him to stop sending me those notes. He's sent me, what? Dozens upon dozens of them over the years?"

"Hundreds." Marci smiled. "Listen, detentions... aren't so bad. Depends on what you've got to do, of course. For notes, I think McGonagall will give you just lines."

"Yes, but look who I have it with!" Lily groaned loudly.

"Want us to get a detention, too?" Gen offered.

Lily managed a small smile and said, "Thanks, but I think I can wing it. But, I'll tell you lot something."

"What?" the other three asked quickly.

"I will never, ever date James Potter as long as I live!"

And she sounded serious.


	11. Chapter 11

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 11

Gen, Celeste, and Marci silently agreed to stay up until Lily got back from her detention and do their best to comfort her if the need arose.

And she came through the portrait hole at a quarter after eleven, looking furious.

"That bad?" Celeste asked softly.

"That bad and then some." Lily let out a soft groan and sat down on the nearest chair, burying her face in her hands. "You guys... you have no idea what I did."

"What?" Marci and Gen asked together.

"He... he kept apologizing..." Lily began softly. The other girls had to strain to hear her muffled voice. "So, to shut him up, I told him I accepted his apology. Then, he hinted about the Hogsmeade trip. And asked if I were going with anyone."

"You're going with us." Marci said softly.

"That's what I said." Lily sniffled. "He seemed disappointed and said something about Sirius having a date, Remus not going, and not sure about Peter's plans."

"And...?" Gen pressed softly.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I offered to let him come with us. It's not a date thing. Though, he'll play it up to be, even though it'll be the four of us and him."

The other girls cooed sympathetically and promised that they would do their best to keep James and Lily separate and not leave them alone.

"And if he does anything stupid," Celeste added softly as the four of them headed upstairs to go to bed, "we'll leave him in the middle of the village like an idiot."

Lily managed a small smile. "Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without the three of you."

"Probably live a peaceful existence." Gen giggled.

"That's for sure." Lily smiled. She sighed faintly as the four of them changed and crawled into bed. "Good night you lot. And hopefully he won't blab to the entire school in the morning that he finally, sort of, got me to agree to date him."

But everything seemed just as it always was the next morning. Not a single person was whispering behind their hand or even looking pointedly at her.

"Better than I thought this would be." she whispered to Gen, sounding very relieved. "And I'm glad you changed your mind about going to Hogsmeade this time."

Gen shrugged as the four of them headed to Herbology. A quick check at their Fussblooms revealed that they were not happy and crying as a teething toddler would.

"They're starting to bloom." Lily said, pointing to the small violet bud on the top of one of her seedlings.

"Guess it hurts them."

"Guess so."

Lily began to stroke her budding seedling, which seemed to make it feel better. It let out a noise like a purr. The other girls and the students around them quickly followed suit.

Gen's budding plant did not care for her. "You do it." she whispered to Lily. "You've got the magic touch. I swear, Evans, you and Potions and plants... you've got the career opportunities."

Lily managed a tiny smile as she stroked the pink bud on Gen's plant. "I still haven't figured out the point of these things." she told Gen. "I don't think I'm THAT good."

Gen waited until Sprout was out of earshot before saying, "I don't think SPROUT'S that good."

The four girls stifled giggles, which earned them glares from James and Sirius, who were the closest to them. Gen stuck her tongue out at James, who grinned and turned away from them.

"As long as he doesn't try to get Black to go with us, I think everything will be fine." Gen muttered.

Lily smirked. "Black and you, Potter with me... which one rubbed off on the other?"

"I think I want to knock both their heads in, just to make sure I get the right one." Gen replied, pulling off her gloves and tossing them in her bag.

"Same." Lily said with a tiny smile. "But," she added, stripping off her own gloves, "I think James is trying to turn around."

The other three stared at her.

"What?" she asked. "Do I have dirt on my nose?"

"No..." Celeste began slowly. "You just called Potter by his first name."

"I did?" Lily asked, looking confused. "But I've done that before..."

"But not in a casual manner." Gen pointed out.

Lily let out a wail and buried her face against Gen's shoulder. "Someone slap some sense into me."

Gen looked a bit confused and began awkwardly patting Lily on top of the head. "It's OK..." she murmured. "We won't let Potter influence you. Now come on. I've got Divination and I've got to hurry up and get there."

Lily, Celeste, and Marci let her go. The three of them split up with Marci and Celeste heading to the Gryffindor Common Room and Lily off to Ancient Runes.

She was determined to get a seat as far from James as possible. Thankfully, he was already seated. She slid into the desk nearest the back and pulled out her book.

But she found herself unable to focus on her work. She shook her head several times to clear her thoughts. It did not work.

After that lesson, she was assigned extra homework for the class work she had not been able to complete.

"What's gotten into you, Evans?" she asked herself as she dragged herself along the hall. "Detention. Not finishing your work. That's not a good Head Girl."

"No, it's not."

She turned and stifled an annoyed groan.

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked softly.

"I saw you dragging yourself. Figured you could use some company." James shrugged. "Everything alright?"

"Not really." Lily muttered.

"Oh..." James shifted his bag to his other shoulder and said, "If you'd rather me not go to Hogsmeade with you and the other girls, I'll understand.

"No, no, it's not that..." she began slowly. What had she just said?

She managed a tiny smile and added, "Listen, it's fine if you want to come with us. I don't mind. The other girls don't either. Just don't try anything, OK?"

"Or you'll leave me by myself?" James teased.

"Celeste's idea."

"Wouldn't put it past her." James chuckled. He managed a smile of his own and added, "I really am sorry about getting you in trouble. I did not mean for that to happen. I was just wondering what was wrong."

Lily was quiet. He sounded genuine. But she still felt a tiny bit wary. What he was up to? And better yet, could he really be so honest?

And was she foolish for believing him? Only time would tell.


	12. Chapter 12

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 12

It was the day of the first Hogsmeade weekend. And Lily was growing more impatient by the second.

"Let's leave him." she said, tapping her foot, her arms folded over her chest. "It would serve him right."

"Wait a few more minutes." Gen told her. "Then we can head that way."

The four of them were waiting for James in the entrance hall. And he was a good ten minutes late than when he told them he would meet them.

But just as soon as Gen shut her mouth, he appeared beside them. He seemed to be trying his best to hold back a smile. And Gen felt a bit wary of it.

Lily, Marci, and Celeste went a bit ahead of them. Gen hung back to speak to James.

"What took you so long?" she asked. "Lily wanted to leave!"

"I was trying to talk Remus into coming." James said softly. "No go. Sorry."

"You were trying to talk Remus into coming?" Gen asked, sounding as though she wasn't too sure she should believe that. "Or you were hexing Snape? Or pulling some prank?"

"Honest, Gwennie, I was talking to Remus."

Gen let the subject drop. The two of them were already far behind the other three girls. So they raced to catch them.

And James wound up nearly plowing into Lily. But he caught himself, and her. "Sorry, Evans."

Lily gave him a glare that meant she thought it was not a mistake. She straightened her robes and turned to Gen.

"Honeyduke's?" she asked.

"Of course! My sweets stash is running dangerously low."

The four girls set off giggling to the sweetshop with James trailing behind, deep in thought.

He had not meant to nearly bump into Lily. And he had not meant to be late. Why did this have to happen to him? And when Lily finally planned to give him a chance!

"Just my luck." he grumbled.

"Coming?"

At least Gen was waiting for him.

"I don't know what I did," he whispered to her as they joined the crowd in the sweetshop, "but I really wish right now I could change time."

Gen gave him a sympathetic smile as the two of them browsed the sweets. She and James loaded themselves with armfuls of candy and headed to pay for it when they were joined by the other girls, who promptly dumped their candy on James.

"Your treat." Lily said with a grin.

James looked from Gen, who silently promised to help, to Lily and the other three, who seemed to be close to giggling.

"What is it now?" James asked Gen as she relieved him of some of the sugary burden the other girls had placed on him.

"Well, either she's angry with you -- "

"That's a given." James grumbled.

" -- or she's teasing you."

James opened his mouth to answer, then quickly shut it. "Teasing, I think I can handle. As angry as she's gotten with me these past few years, I don't know, Gwen. I thought she was going to give me a chance."

"From what I was told," Gen began softly, pulling several coins from her pocket, "she took pity on you. I'm so sorry," she added quickly, "that's just from the way she said it. It might not be that at all."

James smiled faintly as she began to stammer. "I was pretty down that day. It makes sense. But don't tell anyone I let you get away with that."

Gen looked confused but did not answer as she took her bags and helped James with his. "Let's hope they're waiting for us." she muttered.

"They'd better be. Or I'm taking this and eating it myself."

"But then you couldn't get off the ground! Your poor broom! Did you even think of it?" Gen asked. She sounded serious, but wound up bursting into a fit of giggles.

"I'll feed it to Peter, then." James smiled.

"You'd better not." Lily began as they finally emerged outside the shop. Lily, Celeste, and Marci were waiting for them.

"Where to?" Celeste asked, taking her bag from Gen with a nod of thanks. She dove in and immediately began to munch of strawberry mousse balls.

Lily and Marci found their packs of Sugar Quills while James munched a Licorice Wand. Gen was trying to show restraint.

"Let's just walk, hmm?" she asked, trying to ignore her stomach grumbling. "And maybe try to find something to drink while we're at it?"

Just then they passed The Three Broomsticks. "We'll go in." Lily said, grabbing Gen's arm and dragging her into the pub. "He's behaving?" she asked in

"Yes." Gen said. "Now stop being so cruel to him!"

"He was late." Lily argued.

"That doesn't mean get the other girls to make him pay for everything." Gen pointed out.

"I'm helping to pay for the drinks!"

By that time, they were first in line at the bar. They paid for the five butterbeers and quickly left the pub. They made sure to stay silent as they passed the bottles around.

"We can sit right outside the village." Marci said, breaking the silence. "It's grassy and quiet and we'd be less likely to be trampled than if we sat down in the village."

The others silently agreed. They settled themselves just outside the village, Gen and Celeste making sure there was space between Lily and James, as Lily still seemed mad.

They began to talk about little things. Until Gen and James switched to Quidditch talk. Marci and Celeste exchanged looks as Lily visibly fumed.

"Quidditch!" she shouted finally, getting to her feet, her bottle held tightly in her hand. "That's the only thing that matters to you!"

Without another word, she emptied the rest of her butterbeer on James's head and headed back to the castle, leaving the rest of them stunned and confused.


	13. Chapter 13

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: I need another chapter fic idea! I'm going nuts with just four, two of which are about to end, going! I have more, nobody would like them, though.

Enough of that.

Chapter 13

By Monday, Sirius was still laughing about Lily and her butterbeer. James was not finding it funny in the least. So, he needed something to take his mind off it.

And Quidditch was not working. Who knew Lily could get so jealous of a sport?

If she was jealous, that is.

And schoolwork was surely not taking his mind off anything.

He, Peter, Remus, and Sirius were settled at their favorite table writing a Potions essay. The Slytherins had booked the Pitch so often, he was sure they were not going to get any practice.

And he didn't seem to care anyway.

He had his chin cupped in his hand, staring at his Potions book, when Gen walked over to their table and asked, "Remus, can you help me?"

"What do you need?" he asked.

So Gen asked him what she she needed. James watched as Remus tried to explain something to do with Divination to her. He did not care what. But before Gen left, she gave Remus a sweet smile and said, "Thanks, Remus. You're a peach."

James waited until she left to say, "Gee, Remus. I didn't realize you were a peach."

"I'm not -- "

"Peachy!" James began, clapping his hands together.

Remus groaned softly. James had finally found something to distract him. And he wasn't too sure when he was going to hear the end of being a peach.

That night, before they went to bed, James called, "Good night, Peachy!" And the next morning at breakfast, he asked, "Can you pass the pumpkin juice, Peachy?"

Lily, who had been sitting two seats away, looking down her nose at James, then gave Remus a sympathetic smile before returning to her breakfast.

First lesson was Potions. And Lily did her best to get as far away from James, and silently will Slughorn not to partner him with her. Thankfully, she was partnered with Gen that day.

Gen managed a tiny smile as the two of them tried to set up. "I think I start something." she sighed.

"What? You started the whole 'Remus being a peach' thing?" Lily asked.

"Mm-hmm." Gen said, rolling her eyes as she pulled her hair back. "I asked him for help last night, something you couldn't have helped me with even if you weren't sulking in the dorm, and I thanked him and called him a peach -- "

" -- And Potter," Lily spat, "adopted it."

"Yeah." Gen sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry. He's just an immature git. Who only cares about sports."

Gen giggled despite herself. But quickly stopped at the look Lily gave her.

She remained silent as Lily began to vent to her while they made their potion. It called to let it sit and simmer for about five minutes, so the girls sat and listened instead of talked.

And they could hear James calling Remus a peach for what seemed like the millionth time.

The two girls rolled their eyes and returned to their potion. Gen stirred while Lily added the new couple ingredients.

"Going to make potions when we're out of school?" Gen asked.

"Only if I must. I don't think I'd have the time for constantly standing over a cauldron." Lily told her. "I'd like to start a family, you know?"

"Yeah." Gen let out a wistful sigh, so Lily let her stay in her own little dreamland for about a minute.

"Get to stirring, Moore." Lily told her.

"Oh, right!" Gen said quickly. "Sorry!"

The two of them had to hurry to finish. They had wasted time talking and Gen spacing out. And Lily had been shooting glares off in James's direction.

"Think we passed?" Lily asked as the two of them left the classroom a few minutes later. They stopped a bit away from the door to wait for Celeste and Marci, who were the last two out of the classroom.

And Lily was not too thrilled to see James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter waiting in the entrance hall.

"Let's just... keep going." Marci whispered. She, at least, did not want to pressure Lily, especially not about James, who she seemed to hate more than ever now.

But before they could even make it up one flight of stairs, they heard, "EVANS, WAIT A SECOND!"

But it was not James who called her. It was Sirius. And he was already heading up the stairs. "Can I ask you something?" he asked. He seemed to be trying to hide a grin.

"What?" she demanded. She felt like grabbing her wand and hexing both him and James, but held back. She wanted to know what he wanted to ask.

Even though she felt it was most likely something to do with James.

"Why did you do that to James? What did he do to you?"

Lily glared at all of them before turning on her heel and heading upstairs, quickening her pace. The other three girls raced to catch up to her.

But Sirius was not going to back down. He, too, raced after her.

"Should we?" James asked, feeling a bit sick. He had not asked Sirius to do this. And he was not happy that he had taken it upon himself. He wanted to forget the butterbeer incident. But Sirius could not let it lie.

"Evans!" Sirius called. She stopped and drew her wand.

"It had better be important, Black. I'm going to be late for class. Unlike you, I haven't as many free periods. So what is it?"

"Why?" he demanded. "Why did you do that? James said you had no reason to do that to him."

"Well maybe," Lily snapped, "maybe I fancy James. Maybe I just don't like the kind of person he is. And maybe I don't feel like changing him. And it's not my fault that he hexes people for the hell of it. And it's not my fault that he can only think of Quidditch. So it's not my fault, Black."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

But not to her next class. She hid in the girls' dorm for the rest of the day. What had she just done?

And more more importantly, what was going to happen now?


	14. Chapter 14

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 14

"Why would she say that?" Gen asked as she, Celeste, and Marci sat around the library that evening. None of them were focused on their work, and surprisingly did not have that much to do anyway.

"Because she fancies James and can't keep all of that inside?" Celeste offered.

Gen gave Celeste a look before turning to Marci. "And now what are we supposed to do?"

"Maybe leave something alone for once?"

"Shut it, Celeste!" Gen snapped. She again turned to her cousin, who had been quiet the whole time. "Well?" she demanded.

"I think," Marci began softly, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ears and looking away from her cousin, "that maybe Celeste is right. Whenever we try to help, things tend to, you know, mess up."

Gen let out a soft groan, slammed her book, and chucked it in her bag.

She headed out of the library a moment later, grumbling to herself. She did not mean help as in set Lily and James up. She figured, judging by the scene at Hogsmeade, there was probably no chance of that.

She wanted to try to figure out what she could do in the best interest of Lily.

With a sigh, she figured Celeste was, as much as she hated to admit it, right about leaving everything be.

Everything was in a mess as it was.

She paused, noticed her shoe was unbuckled, and sighed again. She set her bag down and stooped to fasten her shoes when she heard a very familiar voice saying, " -- probably Moore or Helms. Morrow isn't the type to put anyone up to anything."

"Oh, no." Gen groaned. She dove behind the nearby suit of armor, which was no easy feat for her height. But she did not want to get interrogated. Especially not by Sirius.

"You've convinced yourself they've talked Evans into basically blowing up at James?" Remus asked as the four Marauders rounded the corner. Gen scrunched herself into a smaller, crouched ball.

"Makes sense." Sirius shrugged.

Gen waited until she was sure they had gone to try to wedge herself from behind the armor with a bit of dignity.

Which was soon forgotten when James peered around the armor and asked, "Trying to make yourself shorter, Moore?"

"James!" she shrieked, falling out from behind the armor and landing on her back. "I thought -- "

He smiled faintly and offered her his hand. Which she thankfully took. "You heard them, I gather?"

"I heard them." she said softly. "Listen, I didn't -- "

"I didn't say you did. I don't think you would be that cruel to me. Helms, maybe."

"No, nobody did anything."

James managed a teeny little smile. "I figured as much. Sirius thinks so, though. And I admit, it would make sense, since Lily apparently loathes the ground I walk on."

Gen wanted to say that that was not true, but she bit her tongue. If James believed Lily's little outburst, he would know it wasn't true.

She could think of nothing to say. So she said a hurried goodbye and headed to the Common Room. When she was in there, she realized that James had not reminded her of practice the following evening.

Even though she did not need reminding.

She contemplated finishing what work she had, but decided to head upstairs in case Sirius had plans to come back and demand that she, or Celeste, had set Lily up to say what she did.

"Hey," Gen said softly as she shut the door to their dorm a minute or so later, "are you feeling up leaving in the morning for class?"

"I feel up to heading to St. Mungo's for shock therapy spells." Lily muttered into her pillow. "Why did I let that out? Why?"

"I don't know." Gen said softly, sitting down on her bed. "Maybe because you can't really bottle up things forever."

"Gen, you've kept your feelings for Remus inside for how long?"

"Oh shut up. I'm used to bottling things."

"Yeah, that you are." Lily sighed, rolling over onto her back. "Is he broadcasting to the entire school that I fancy him?"

"I think he's in shock." Gen answered honestly. "Sirius seems to think we've, me or Celeste, set you up to say that. I couldn't even pay you to do that to him."

"But that's brilliant!" Lily said, sitting up and staring at her. "Celeste would agree to it! And that way, I would never wind up with that git!"

"Lily!"

"What?" Lily demanded. "I do not want to date Potter and I never wanted to say that! And besides, that might get him to leave me alone!"

"Or crush his spirit!"

Lily wanted to argue that she believed that James Potter had no soul or spirit or whatever, but she held her tongue. "Why are you defending him?" she demanded.

"Because he's hurt!" Gen said, hopping off her bed. "And he.. oh, forget it. You aren't willing to listen. So why should I be willing to talk?"

"No, what?" Lily asked, sitting up and hugging her pillow. "What is it?"

Gen waved her hand dismissively, her expression a mix of anger and hurt. "Just forget it." she flopped back on her bed and reaching into her bag.

Lily watched as Gen pulled out, not a schoolbook, but a red, leather-bound novel.

"And what are you reading?" Lily asked.

"Hmm?" Gen asked, peering over her book at Lily. "Nothing interesting."

"What are you reading?" Lily demanded, getting to her feet and crossing over to Gen's bed. She was more than glad for a distraction from James. And Gen's book, whatever it was, would give her just that.

Gen slammed it shut and quickly tucked it back in her bag. "I told you – GET OUT OF MY BAG!" she shouted as Lily dove for her bag.

"Romance novels? Why Gwendolyn!" Lily said smugly.

"So?" Gen demanded. She looked as though she wanted to snatch the book from Lily and hit her with it.

Lily smiled and politely asked, "Can I borrow that when you're finished with it?"

Gen looked confused, then said, "Yeah, I suppose. Need something to take your mind off Potter?"

"And I suppose trashy romance novels can do that. Does it worth for your thing with Remus?"

Gen glared at her and said, "Well, then, I won't let you borrow it."

"No, no, I take it back! I'm sorry. Let me borrow the book. Maybe I can get an idea of what kind of guy I'm really looking for with it."

"If you insist." Gen said. "Just don't lose my place, OK? I'm really getting into that."

Lily smiled softly as she curled up on her bed, silently thanking Gen for the distraction and hoping it would work.


	15. Chapter 15

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 15

Lily soon found herself engrossed in the novel Gen had lent her. James was soon the last thing on her mind. And she was glad of that.

She and Gen were heading to the Common Room after classes, discussing the book and unaware of being followed.

"I just love Caspian's character." Lily sighed. "He's such a great guy. Well, yeah, he starts off as a huge git, but he's making a turn-around."

"Oh?" Gen asked, cocking her head. "I hadn't got that far. What's his reasoning? From what I've seen, Caspian wouldn't be the type to just turn his life around."

"Iorwen." Lily said with another sigh.

The two girls continued to walk and giggle while their followers stopped and waited for them to get out of earshot before James whipped off his Invisibility Cloak.

"What was that about?" he asked Sirius, who reached up to straighten his hair.

The two of them had snuck down to the kitchen and were on their way back when they heard the girls speaking. So they slowed down and listened to them.

"No idea." Sirius answered. He sounded a bit sour and looked it as well.

"What's your problem?" James asked, tucking his cloak under his arm as he and Sirius quickened their pace, hoping not to be caught by Filch or anyone else.

"What problem?" Sirius asked.

"You don't sound too thrilled about something." James said with a half shrug.

"Oh, that, yeah, well..." Sirius trailed off. "Nothing really."

"Moore?" James asked with a look that clearly said he knew all too well. "Listen, mate, she might come around. I can't say she will, but -- "

"She won't. And it's not her anyway. I guess I'm just in a bad mood." Sirius muttered.

James took the hint to drop whatever it was. He and Sirius quickly joined Remus once they reached the Common Room. Peter was off in a detention for something James did.

Even Remus seemed a bit miserable.

"Guess we're all down, huh?" James asked, catching Remus's eye. "Though, I think I know you're reasoning."

"Do you?" Remus asked, shifting through several scraps of parchment on the table. Unable to find what he was looking for, he picked up his bag and starting rifling through it as well.

"Guess not." James sighed softly. He reached into his bag and pulled out his Charms essay. But found it hard to concentrate.

Twenty minutes later and he had barely written half a foot. And he was getting tired. Beside him, Remus was scribbling away, but scowling. And Sirius must have given up on his homework, for he had slammed his book shut and was deep in thought.

Peter joined them soon, complaining about organizing potions ingredients.

"It could be worse." Sirius told him. James had to agree, even though Peter did reek of pickled slugs.

James slammed his book shut, having finished all he could, and yet being at least four inches shorter than what Flitwick had asked for.

Not to mention his gaze had fallen on Lily, who was curled up in a chair by the fire, engrossed in a book. He could not pull his gaze away from her until Sirius started snapping his fingers in front of his face.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine." James said. "Why? I can't watch Evans read whatever it is she's reading?"

"Oh?" Sirius asked. "Is that what you were doing? I thought you had fallen asleep or something."

"No, I'm awake. But I am a bit tired. I'm going to bed."

He was lying, of course. But he dragged himself upstairs, changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed anyway. Something was nagging him, but he could not put his finger on it.

It was not that something was on Remus's mind. It was not Sirius's mood. So what could it possibly be?

As he lay tossing and turning, he heard the door open and shut. "Moony?" he asked.

"You're still awake?" Remus asked, sounding a bit surprised. "I thought you would be asleep by now."

James shrugged as he pulled his hangings apart and looked at Remus. "Anything on your mind, Moony?" he asked softly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want." he added quickly. "It's just not like you to be like this."

"Yes, there's something on my mind." Remus said, sitting down on his bed. "But I'd rather not talk about it." he added. And silently, he thanked James for not pushing it. If Sirius had been in a better mood, he was sure Sirius would have.

Remus cast around to change the subject. "Do you think you'll win the match tomorrow?"

"I think Moore and I have it in the bag. Some of the team, I think I'm starting to dread having picked them."

"I'm sure you and Gwendolyn can handle it." Remus said reassuringly. "Unless she's preoccupied by something."

"Oh?" James asked, his interest returning. "Did you overhear her say anything?"

"No," Remus said quickly, "no, I didn't."

James raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He wondered if she had done something or said something to Remus. He would have to remember to ask her in the morning. He had not seen her in the Common Room.

He stretched back out in bed. Remus did not seem to want to talk. And James, his mind off Quidditch for once, was racing.

Had Gen done something? Said something? Or was something else on Remus's mind and he was just looking too far into it?

And what about Lily?

He had finally figured out what was nagging him. It was what she said while he and Sirius followed her and Gen under the Invisibility Cloak.

Maybe he should try to turn around, like that Caspian character she had discussed with Gen. Or would that be too hard for him?

He soon fell asleep thinking of ways to change himself for the better, that is, if Lily would approve.


	16. Chapter 16

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 16

"James, did you even sleep last night?"

James glanced up. He, along with the rest of the team, was in the locker room. It was Gen who had spoken to him. She was already in her scarlet robes.

"No, not really." James admitted, getting to his feet and changing his robes. "Hey..." he began slowly. "Gen, I need your help after the match."

"With?" Gen asked nervously, but he did not answer her. Instead, he ushered her out onto the field with the rest of the team.

Up in the stands, Remus, Sirius, and Peter had settled down next to Marci, Celeste, and Lily. And they were discussing the match, much to Lily's anger.

"James sounded confident last night." Remus said, watching as the two teams took the field.

"Ravenclaw's good, but we've got them beat." Sirius said with a slight nod.

"You want to bet money on that, Black?" Celeste asked, leaning over Lily. "Ravenclaw has gotten better, especially now that Shannon Winters is captain."

"Not to mention you think he's cute." Marci said with a giggle.

"He is!" Celeste argued.

"What about you, Lily?" Remus asked over Celeste and Marci's squabbling. "I thought you thought Quidditch is barbaric. Did they drag you along or something?"

"Yes, they did." Lily huffed, her arms folded over her chest. "I have homework I could be doing instead of being here."

"Oh, who cares about homework?" Celeste asked, playing hitting Lily on the arm. "Quidditch is great! It's always fun to bet on how soon Gen'll get hit with a Bludger."

Sirius sent a death glare in her direction, but Celeste did not see it as her attention was finally on the pitch.

"For him to seem distracted last night, James is playing rather well." Remus commented to Sirius, who nodded in agreement.

"Guess we need to get him that way before every match." Peter added.

By then, Gen and James had managed a goal apiece. And Gen was going for her second.

As she streaked towards the goal, one of the Ravenclaw Beaters sent a Bludger in her direction, which made contact with her left hand. She shrieked and dropped the Quaffle, and James quickly called a time out.

They could see James talking with her from where they were sitting. He had her hand in his and was carefully examining it. Whatever he was saying to her, she was disagreeing with.

Marci glanced at Lily, figuring she would see her shaking her head slowly. Instead, Lily looked rather jealous.

Marci opened her mouth to say something, but Sirius beat her to it.

"Wow, Evans, never thought I'd see that look on your face when it came to James Potter."

Lily glared at him, then got to her feet and huffed back to the castle.

Remus, Peter, and Celeste had not seen the look on Lily's face. "What was that about?" Celeste asked, her attention now on Marci.

"I'll tell you later." she whispered. "I guess Gen's OK," she added as the match continued, "or she talked James into letting her play."

"Yeah, she's favoring that hand." Celeste pointed out. "Why didn't she let James take her to the Hospital Wing?"

"Because she's determined, I suppose." Remus shrugged. Celeste looked at him, clearly astonished. But she said nothing.

Soon, Gryffindor found themselves sixty points up, but Ravenclaw was not willing to roll over and admit defeat. Twice, Shannon Winters took advantage of Gen's injured state and snatched the Quaffle from her as she shifted it from her left arm to her right.

And she was not happy with that. From the stands, they could see James laughing at her as she yelled at Winters.

When the score was sixty-forty, in Gryffindor favor, the Seekers seemed to have spotted something. Both of them dove quickly towards the ground on Gryffindor's end. There was a scuffle between the two of them and the Snitch was lost.

"Oh, come on!" Gen groaned loudly. "How could you lose it?"

"Because neither of them are amazing." James answered as he flew past her, Quaffle held firmly under his arm.

He scored, causing a loud cheer from the Gryffindor end.

James and Gen scored twice before the Snitch was spotted yet again. Even the Chasers stopped to watch as the Seekers flew after it.

They were pretty much even until the Gryffindor Seeker snatched the Snitch as it flew off in front of him.

The Gryffindor supporters roared loudly, drowning out the boos and hisses coming from the Slytherins.

"Come on," Celeste said to Marci, "let's go check on Gen."

She and Marci fought through the crowd trying to get to the players, and managed to get to Gen, who was holding her hand close to her body, just in time to hear James say, "Come on, I'll get you to the Hospital Wing. I've got to talk to you alone anyway."

Celeste and Marci exchanged similar looks, both of them wondering what that could be about.


	17. Chapter 17

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 17

"I can't believe you played with broken fingers." James said, shaking his head as he sat down on the bed across from Gen.

She said nothing, merely holding her left hand in her right and waiting for the potion Pomfrey had given her to take effect.

She watched as Madame Pomfrey walked into her office, shaking her head, before leaning over and asking, "Well? You wanted to talk to me alone."

"Later." James muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and watching her.

"Fine by me." Gen muttered. "Though you did make it seem like whatever it was you wanted to talk about is rather urgent."

"It is." James said. "But it can also wait until I'm sure we won't be overheard."

"Ah."

The two of them soon left the Hospital Wing, Gen flexing the fingers of her left hand. She was curious as to what James wanted. But she did not ask what he wanted.

He glanced around the corridor, then led her through a trick wall.

"Listen, Gwen, I need help."

"With?" Gen asked, looking at him in confusion.

"Lily."

"Oooh." Gen leaned against the wall and watched James, still holding her left hand in her right as she flexed her fingers. "Figured it was something like that. James, I don't claim to be an expert, but, for you, I suppose I can try. What do you want me to do?"

"Help me change for her."

Gen stared at him in disbelief. "What?" she asked. "Did I hear you right? You want to change for her?"

"I do." James nodded. "I really do."

Gen looked wary now. But she sighed and said, "Fine. I can try to help you. But I won't make promises."

"Thank you." he smiled. "Gwen, I appreciate this. More than anything."

"I'm sure you do." Gen made to past him and head through the trick wall again and go to the Common Room, but he stopped her.

"Hang on."

Gen stopped and glanced at him. "James, I have homework. Let me finish that first, please. Then you and I can put our heads together and see if we can come up with anything."

She did not wait to hear him say, "That wasn't what I wanted."

She dashed through the wall and up to the Common Room. James couldn't change. There was no way he could. And if Lily found out she was going to try to help him!

She would be out for blood! Unless she was willing to give James another chance. Which Gen was almost she would not.

'But you promised James. He sounded sincere.' she thought.

She somehow managed to drag herself to the Common Room and to the girls' dorm to get her bag before joining Celeste and Marci at a table close to the window.

"How's your hand?" Marci asked, glancing up from her copy of _Witch Weekly._

"Fine, I suppose." Gen sighed. It was then she noticed Lily was not at the table. Nor had she been in the dorms. "Where's Lily?"

"We haven't seen her since the match." Celeste said after exchanging a look with Marci. "She wasn't upstairs?"

"No." Gen sighed. "Wonder what's gotten into her?"

Marci and Celeste exchanged another look. Gen did not see it. Instead, she was searching through her bag and mumbling to herself. She could not find her quill, which resulted in her dumping her bag onto the table. Her quill turned out to be at the very bottom of her bag.

"Figures." she muttered, ignoring Celeste and Marci as she pulled her Divination textbook closer to her, picked up a bit of parchment, and began to write.

Lily soon showed up at the table, laden with books. Which answered where she had been, at least. She, took, settled down and started her homework without a word.

It appeared, at second glance, that she had been crying.

"Hey, Lily," Marci began timidly, "why have you been hiding from us?"

"I haven't been hiding." Lily said. "I've been in the library."

"Anything wrong?" Gen asked, finally glancing up from the complicated-looking chart she was just about finished with.

"Oh, no," Lily replied hotly, "nothing at all."

Gen looked confused, but knew better than to say anything else. Marci gave her a look that she hoped said it was not Gen's fault. But Gen ignored it.

She finished her chart and set it aside to dry. She wanted to finish the rest of her homework before Monday, but James had just caught her eye. She sighed and placed her book down on the table.

"Be right back." she told the others. They watched as she crossed the Common Room and knelt next to James's chair. She said something, to which James nodded, and rejoined the girls.

"What was that about?" Marci asked softly.

"He... wants my help with something. I told him I had a load of work to finish, and that I would help him in the morning." Gen said softly. Nothing important."

Lily felt like holding in a scoff, but she could not. Gen glanced at her, as did Celeste and Marci.

"What?" the three of them asked at the same time.

"Nothing." Lily said, slamming her books and not bothering to pack them. "I'm going to bed. Good night."

"What was that about?" Gen asked, watching Lily hurry upstairs.

Celeste and Marci had just about figured it out. But they were not going to tell Gen. Who knows what that might cause?


	18. Chapter 18

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 18

Gen was starting to feel very confused. Lily had begun to ignore her and act coldly towards her. Especially when she spotted her near James. Or the two of them with their heads together in the Common Room and the library.

James was trying his best to change. She had him starting off slowly, trying to keep his wand away instead of hexing everyone for every little thing.

And he had managed to not hex two people.

Which was a start. A slow start, but a start nonetheless.

She found herself dragging the next few days. And she did not even take notice to Remus when he asked "Anything the matter, Gwendolyn?" as they left Divination laden with homework.

He had to ask her again to get her attention.

"Oh, Remus. Nothing. Nothing at all."

He did not seem convinced. But he was not going to push it. Instead, he offered to help her with her Divination homework.

"Sure." she smiled. "I would appreciate it very much."

"You look like you could use help anyway." Remus told her as they headed down the stairs to lunch. "Actually, you look like you could use a nap."

"I sure could." Gen sighed. "But James has kept me rather busy. I'm trying to help him, you know, and -- "

"He's not doing so well." Remus finished. "But he's trying, Gwendolyn. Give him credit!"

"I didn't say I wasn't going to give him credit. He's just... a bad student, OK?"

Remus smiled faintly and said, "Oh, I always figured as much. And I do thank you for trying. If it wasn't you, it would be me helping him, which is almost impossible with Sirius around."

Gen managed a small smile of her own. "Well, at least I don't have that to deal with. Honestly, is it just me or has Sirius gotten... worse... this year?"

"I think he's gotten worse." Remus said.

By then, the two of them had reached the Great Hall. She bade him good-bye as she joined the girls at one end of the Gryffindor table while he joined the Marauders at the other end.

"What took you so long?" Marci teased. "I thought Celeste was going to eat everything and save you nothing."

"I was talking to Remus. He offered me some help with our Divination homework." Gen answered. She hadn't felt hungry anyway. She just wanted to sleep. But if she laid down for a nap, then she would wind up sleeping all day.

Lily folded her arms over her chest and pushed her plate away, trying to focus on something that was not Gen.

Gen yawned and turned to Celeste and Marci, who were both giving her sympathetic looks. "Do you think I can skip Potions? Or would that be a bit much to ask? I mean, I doubt Sluggy would, or, hell, could, get up all those stairs."

Marci giggled. Celeste cracked a small smile. Lily continued to look away.

"Gen, you're right about that. No wonder he's so lax on punishments." Celeste said. "It makes a lot more sense than what James was saying about him the other day."

"What was James saying about him the other day?" Lily asked hotly, glaring at Gen as though Gen would know what James had been talking about.

"Oh, something about Sluggy making us make potions for him so he could sell them." Celeste said, waving her hand dismissively. She did not notice the death glare Lily had sent in Gen's direction.

"Sounds about right." Gen smiled.

She, Celeste, and Marci began to laugh and joke about Slughorn's motives, and how much they thought he could get for potions they had made in class.

Lily did not join in.

Gen was feeling a bit better by the time the girls headed out of the Great Hall and into the dungeons. She and Marci were walking a bit ahead of Celeste and Lily, who looked sour.

"Anything wrong?" Celeste asked softly.

"Oh, no, nothing at all. Just work with me today, will you?"

"If we're partnering." Celeste agreed. She stopped and glanced at her watch. There was time to ask. "Lily, can I ask you a question? A really quick, yet private, question?"

Lily looked surprised by this. "Sure..." she agreed. "I guess I don't see any harm in asking a question."

Celeste dragged her away from Marci and Gen and, in a low tone, asked, "So, what's going on? Why are you mad at Gen? I get mad at her, but I have my reasons. I don't see any reason to be so upset with her right now."

Lily thought for a moment, then she said, "Well, Celeste, I think I do have a reason to be angry with her. Even if you don't see it. I think it's obvious."

"What's obvious?" Celeste demanded.

"Her and Potter!" Lily spat.

Celeste still looked confused. "I think there's nothing going on between those two besides what's normally been going on. It's not like she's dating him or snogging him, or, or trying to get him to change for you or something. It's just them being them!"

Lily crossed her arms over her chest. "I think the two of them have gotten a bit cozy myself." she scoffed.

"She fancies Lupin, you know that. And he, well, I don't think he sees her as anything more than a close friend and fellow Quidditch freak."

Lily opened her mouth to spit out another fine point, but she quickly shut it as James and Sirius joined Gen and Marci. She huffed and gave Celeste a dirty look.

"You watch." she whispered. "I'll turn out right, and absolutely disgusted."

"And you watch me be right." Celeste told her. "Frankly, I don't see why you're so jealous."

"I am not!" Lily hissed. "Why would I be?"

Celeste pretended to ponder this. "Well, for one, you fancy -- " Lily clamped her hand over Celeste's mouth just as James glanced in their direction.

"Not anymore." she spat.


	19. Chapter 19

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 19

Lily stood at the window of the girls' dorm, actually happy to have some peace and quiet.

The grounds were covered in snow, and she, along with everyone else in the castle, was looking forward to Christmas holidays, even though they were still a little ways away.

She would be going home, as would Celeste and Marci. She was unsure of Gen.

And at that moment, she did not care. She was angry with her and with Potter. So angry, in fact, she took no notice of the work Gen had done with James.

She turned as she heard the door open and Gen come inside, shutting it behind her. "Sorry." Gen muttered. "I didn't think anyone was in here."

"Being too loud in the Common Room?" Lily asked with a slight snap.

"Yeah." Gen sighed, flopping down on the bed. She was exhausted. James insisted on long Quidditch practices. And she wasn't exactly up to them.

But she went anyway.

"Hey, what are you doing for Christmas?"

Lily glanced at Gen, scowling. "Why do you ask? I'm going home, like always."

Gen nodded slowly, not saying anything.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked before she could stop herself.

"Staying here." Gen muttered.

"What, is Potter staying, too?"

Gen looked up in surprise. "No... no, he's going home."

"And you're not going with him?"

"Why would I?" Gen demanded. "Sirius is going to be there, too. And besides, I've got no real reason to go. Besides," she began, blushing slightly, "Remus won't be there."

Lily cocked her head and studied Gen. She seemed serious.

'What was I thinking?' Lily asked herself. 'I'm insane. I must be. Gen, fancying Potter? When Lupin is right there?'

She flopped down across from Gen and asked, "Well, that leaves you and him, doesn't it? I'm going home, Celeste is, too, and so is Marci. Potter, Black. Maybe Pettigrew, too. I don't really care what he's going to do. Lucky girl, aren't you?"

Gen did not bother to mask her surprise at Lily's happy tone. Lately, all she had used when talking to Gen was a cold tone.

"Well, I guess so..." Gen trailed off.

"You guess so?" Lily asked. "What's there not to be happy about?"

Gen shrugged. She wasn't too sure. She could keep Remus's attention. That was a given. But she wasn't feeling to perky then.

"Oh, cheer up. Come on. Let's go find Celeste and Marci and have a snowball fight or something."

"Snowball fight?" Gen asked as Lily got to her feet. "Are you mad? That's... so immature... and you're... so... you."

Lily actually burst into giggles. "Gen, come on. How much longer do we have to act like kids? Well, how much longer can we get away with it?"

"Me, a couple months." Gen sighed. She got to her feet and kicked open her trunk. She grabbed her scarf, mittens, and a hat. "Fine. Let's go find them."

Lily grabbed her own scarf and mittens and quickly put them on. The two of them headed downstairs and quickly spotted Celeste and Marci sitting near the fire.

"Want to have a snowball fight?" Lily asked sweetly as the two of them appeared beside them.

"A what?" Marci demanded. "Are you mad? It's freezing out there!"

"You're speaking to Gen again?" Celeste asked, leaning back further in her chair. She ignored the look Lily gave her and added, "You know, Marci's right... it is awfully cold outside. And nice and warm right here. Any special reason you want to go outside?"

"No." Lily sighed. "I just wanted to go outside. I'm bored. And done with my homework. And the Great Hall won't need to be decorated for a little while now. So come on!"

"No thanks." Marci and Celeste said together.

"Well," Lily sighed, turning away from Celeste and Marci, "we could still have a snowball fight. If you want."

"No thanks." Gen muttered. "I guess we could go outside, though." she said slowly, with a glare in the direction of several loud fourth years.

"Let's."

She and Gen hurried out of the Common Room and bumped right into Sirius and James, who were both trying their best to look innocent.

"Hey Evans. Moore." James began. "I wouldn't go out if I were you. It's really rather cold."

"And how would you know?" Lily asked coldly. "Been outside hexing the first years? Or trying to bury someone in snow?"

"That's below us." James said.

Before he could finish what he wanted to say, Lily said, "No, nothing is below you."

She pushed him aside and headed towards the stairs. Gen watched as she turned and waited for her.

"Sorry about that." Gen sighed. "I have no idea what's gotten into her. First she wants a snowball fight and now she's being snippy again."

"A snowball fight?" Sirius asked. "We could join you."

Gen glared at him before racing off to join Lily. James and Sirius exchanged looks before racing off after them. A snowball fight with those two might just make their day.

But Gen and Lily made it clear that they did not want them anywhere around them, especially not throwing snowballs at them.

"Women." James muttered. "Especially those two!"

"You're telling me." Sirius sighed. "At least Evans is willing to acknowledge you."

"Yeah." James sighed. "Yeah, but not in the way I want her to."


	20. Chapter 20

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 20

It was nearly the holidays, and James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus were seated at a table close to the window, watching the snow fall and, for Sirius and Remus, at least, waiting until the deck of Exploding Snap cards exploded as Peter tried to build a house of cards.

James kept glancing near the fire, where Lily, Celeste, Marci, and Gen were huddled, a book between in Lily's lap.

But his attention was drawn back to Peter with a loud explosion. Peter emerged from a small black cloud, coughing and waving the smoke away from his soot-covered face.

"Still haven't learned?" James asked. "You're never going to make a house with exploding cards."

Peter shrugged. It had passed the time, at least. They had all weekend for homework.

James sighed softly and shook his head. He found himself glancing at the small group near the fire.

"James, mate, you can't will her over here." Sirius said. "If you could, she, and Moore, would be over here."

James did not feel like pointing out that he only needed Remus to will Gen anywhere.

Instead, he feigned a yawn and muttered something about needing to sleep.

"Why?" Sirius demanded. "You're not playing in the match tomorrow."

"I need sleep to yell."

Sirius did not want to argue.

"What's his problem?" Peter asked, scrambling around for all his cards so he could try to start again. He was hoping to make it a bit bigger, and escape with his nose intact.

"Evans." Sirius said, taking over for James and glancing at the girls. "What else?" he added, beating Remus to asking the question.

"There might be something else." Remus pointed out, sliding his chair far away from the table. "If we can't find out before, then try to find out during the holidays, would you?"

Sirius mocked a salute then turned his attention to Peter, silently willing the bottom cards to explode.

Which they did.

Sirius grinned and leaned his chair back on two legs. "At least I can will that to explode."

"Coincidence." Remus said airily.

Sirius glared at him, but said nothing. What did Remus know about girls, anyway?

Of course that wasn't what was at hand, or what Remus meant, but what did that matter?

The three of them headed upstairs a little while later. Peter to get a bath because he was covered head to toe in black soot. His attempts at a card house, and later on, card castle, had fallen, hard, and scarred and charred him and the table.

James was already fast asleep by the time they changed and settled into bed. They could hear him snoring lightly.

And he was quite enjoying his dream. In it, he and Lily were together, dancing at a masquerade ball. She, wearing a long white dress, simply adorn with tiny red roses, and he, a black tuxedo, with silver cuffs and a small red rose in the pocket.

"I'm sorry." she said softly after the waltz they were doing had ended. "I've really got to go."

"What?" he demanded. "But we just -- "

"Sorry." she said again.

James awoke with a groan. "Dammit." he whispered. Thankfully the other three were fast asleep.

And even if they hadn't been, Peter's snoring would have covered his tiny swear.

"Why does this happened to me?" he demanded to no one.

He flopped over on his stomach, punched his pillow a couple times, and tried to settle down to sleep.

But found he could not.

Trying to be as quiet as he could, he opened his trunk, reached inside, and gave a tug to the silvery material at the top.

"Though nobody should be out and about this late." he told himself.

He covered himself with the cloak, quickly crept to the door, opened it, and slid out. A snack might do him some good.

He padded down the stairs, to the portrait hole, and pushed it open, ignoring the startled squeaks from the Fat Lady as she swung shut.

He made it to the kitchens without running into someone, but once he stepped inside, he realized he wasn't the only one out on a late night snack run.

Lily grinned sheepishly at him, a half-eaten miniature chocolate cake in her hand. "Just... wanted some chocolate." she said softly.

"Same here." James muttered. He waited as the house elves loaded him up with sweets before turning to her again.

She had finished with her cake and was heading out of the door. 

"Wait!" James hissed, racing to catch up with her. "You don't know who could be patrolling out here. And Filch, well, he won't make it pretty if he catches you."

"I didn't run into anyone on the way down here." Lily said coolly. "And if I do, Head Girl can be out patrolling at night if she wishes. I'll just say I caught a firstie sneaking out of bed and lost him."

James had to admire that.

But as they neared the Gryffindor tower, they heard Peeves's most annoying cackle.

"Come here!" Lily hissed, grabbing James's hand and pulling him into the nearby unused classroom.

"Here." James threw the cloak over the two of them just as Peeves burst through the far wall of the classroom.

They waited until they were almost sure he was gone to burst out of the classroom and race all the way to Gryffindor tower. They ignored the Fat lady as she questioned where they had been and James, panting, told her the password.

She reluctantly swung open for them.

James watched Lily as she headed towards the girls' dorms. "Good night." she called over her shoulder.

A bit surprised, James muttered, "Good night." before heading back upstairs and falling asleep, none of the other boys having any idea where he'd been, or that he'd even left.


	21. Chapter 21

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: Yes, no Lily/James this chapter. My apologies. But they'll be back next chapter. Just warning you now, in case you'd rather not read.

Chapter 21

Gen, the only girl left in the dorms during the holidays, snuggled up close in her blankets. She had taken the blankets off the other girls' beds and made herself what appeared to be a warm cocoon.

She felt like staying in the warm mess of blankets until she stretched out and heard the sound of presents crashing to the floor.

"Are presents enough to get me out of bed?" she asked herself.

Yes they are!

She kicked and fought her way out of her blankety mass and gathered up the fallen presents, pulling the small pile in her lap. Which to open first? She couldn't pick!

Finally, she dug through the pile and started on the bottom. The first was from James. _From one Chaser to another_ he had written on a slip of paper in the small box. Inside, a thin golden chain and a small golden Snitch charm.

"Nice James." Gen smiled. "Give Lily another reason to think we're a couple."

But she sat it aside and reached for the present from Marci: a large assortment of lilac bath items. Bath beads and pearls, bubble bath, soap, lotion. Everything one could think of.

From Lily, a gag gift of a box of Peppermint Toads. _I know you hate them. I want to see them on my bedside table when I get back!_ Lily had written on a bit of paper that she had sat on top of the toads.

For her real gift, Lily gave her a think, leather-bound romance noel. _You've got me hooked. Read it and tell me how it goes, OK?_

'And let you borrow it.' Gen thought with a smile.

From Celeste, what appeared to be a pale blue peacock quill, with a note attached, explaining she had gotten one for each of them, all a different color.

From her parents, well, her mother, a small silver ring with a note saying she was disappointed that she had not come home for the holidays.

"And you know Daddy doesn't want me there." Gen said to the empty room. She tore through the rest of her presents, put most of them aside and got dressed.

She grabbed the romance novel, a bookmark, a handful of sweets, and one of the blankets that had not fallen to the floor, and headed down to the Common Room.

There, she bundled up in the chair nearest the fire, enjoying the peace and quiet of the empty room.

A few chapters in and she heard someone padding down the stairs leading to the boys' dorms.

"Hey." she said with a soft grin as Remus joined her, fully dressed, but looking very sleepy. "Oh, don't look so tired. Here -- " she threw a couple Chocolate Frogs at him " -- cheer up!"

"I've never known you to be happy during the holidays." he said, tearing open a Frog and biting the poor thing's head off.

Gen shrugged and said "Me either. But I'm happy, and, as we are the only two here in the tower, I think you should be to."

"Why did everyone go home?" Remus asked, sitting in the chair across from her.

"No idea." Gen shut her eyes, sighed, and slammed her book shut. She sat it down on the nearby table and smiled faintly at him. "I suppose their parents are scared for them."

"Maybe."

Gen sighed once more. She wanted to ask him why he was being so quiet. But she wasn't too sure that she'd get an answer for that.

Instead, she leaned back in her chair and glanced at the clock. "Nearly lunch. Want to head down there?"

Remus nodded and got to his feet. Together, the two of them headed down to the Great Hall, where they were not too surprised to see but one table, and only twenty people seated. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Slughorn, and a witch they did not know the name of, but figured was the Muggle Studies teacher.

Six year Hufflepuff twins and another girl from Hufflepuff, six Ravenclaws, none of them older than third year, and seven Slytherin students, ranging from first to fifth year. Which left Gen and Remus as the oldest students at the table.

Dumbledore soon engaged Remus in conversation, which left Gen to jab moodily at her food, wishing she had brought her book with her.

Slughorn called her name and offered her a cracker, which she moodily pulled with him. Out popped a large plush owl which he pushed to her.

She cuddled it and sat it in her lap while she finished eating. Remus took no notice to her sudden sullen mood. But she didn't figure he would. He was happy talking to Dumbledore, so she would not bother him.

One of the Ravenclaws tried to get her attention, but she shook her head, gathered her owl and several little trinkets she had gotten out of the crackers and headed upstairs.

"Going upstairs so early, Gwendolyn?" Dumbledore called.

"I... have a book to read." Gen said, fishing around for an excuse, any excuse. He seemed to buy it.

A few minutes later, she found herself in the tower, curled up as before, her things littering the floor, and very glad the holidays would be over with soon.


	22. Chapter 22

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 22

Lessons resumed the next day, and Lily, Celeste, Marci, Sirius, James, and Peter had returned to Hogwarts. The four girls were seated near the windows, watching the snow and talking about their holidays.

"Have fun with Remus?" Lily asked with a small smile.

Gen shook her head. "Not at all. He was rarely in the Common Room. And when he was, it was some book that had his attention."

"Like you can't say the same." Lily smiled, pointed to the bookmark in the romance novel she had given Gen. It was beyond the middle of the book, more close to the end.

"I was only reading to keep my mind off him." Gen argued.

"Right." Lily said, rolling her eyes and smiling. "At least you had some peace and quiet, though. With Petunia, it was "Vernon gave me this, Vernon did that, Vernon is getting into this amazing school, Vernon, Vernon, Vernon!"

The four girls collapsed in a fit of giggles. It was always funny when Lily did her imitation of her sister and the man who was, apparently by the way Petunia talked, going to be her brother-in-law one day.

"What I don't get is what she sees in him." Celeste scoffed.

"Me neither." Lily scowled.

"You should have came over to my place, then." Marci said. "Mum made her chocolate cake, yum! And Celeste was over."

Celeste nodded. "It was either that, or have a rambunctious party in my house."

"Oh and you didn't throw a party?" Gen asked her. "You? Miss Party Girl?"

Celeste smiled and said, "Oh, I think I'm changing my ways. Like you're helping -- "

Gen clamped her hand over Celeste's mouth and gave her a dirty look. "Shush!" Gen hissed. "That is nobody's business."

Lily and Marci where staring at them. "What is she -- ?"

"Nothing." Gen said with a glare in Celeste's direction before removing her hand. "At all. Right, Celeste?"

"Right." Celeste said slowly, looking as though she was not sure whether or not she should feel harassed or angry. "Right."

"Well then..." Lily began slowly.

"Yeah..." Marci said. "Oh, Gen! Did I show you what Mum got me?"

"Only a dozen times." Gen said with a small smile. Marci's mother had bought her a thin silver ring with a small blue flower in. Marci had seen one years ago and had wanted one for ages.

"I think we all got some kind of jewelery this year." Lily said softly.

"Not Gen." Celeste pointed out. She was wearing a silver necklace with a small owl charm on it, given to her by a Ravenclaw boyfriend.

"I did..." Gen said slowly.

"What?" Marci yelped. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Gen shrugged. "It's nothing special."

Indeed. The necklace James had given her was resting between her dress robes and old History of Magic notes.

Instead of ignoring it like she hoped, she got a barrage of "Who gave it to you?" "What is it?" "Can we see?" "Do you know who gave it to you?"

Gen hung her head. "It was a present from James, OK? I guess he thought I'd like it."

"Oh." Lily said. "OK."

She did not sound too happy to hear that. And her unhappiness was easily noted by her least favorite person in the Common Room.

"Evans doesn't seem too thrilled." James said to Sirius.

"Gwendolyn wasn't either, during the break." Remus said slowly, thumbing th rough his book, his eyebrows nearly meeting. "Well... she seemed happy for the first morning. After that, she wouldn't make no notice of anything but that book of hers."

"Sound like someone we know?" James asked Sirius, who was torn between scowling and smirking.

Remus took no notice.

"Did you even try to talk to her?" James asked.

"I did..." Remus began slowly. "I did try to talk to her. But she was too engrossed in her book. So I left her alone."

James sighed softly. "Moony, you can't ignore her. It's getting a bit obvious, to me, anyway, that you fancy her. So, talk to her. See what's on her mind."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Remus asked, slamming his book shut. "It's not as simple for me as it is for you, James, which is why I'm not going to bother. So drop it."

Sirius, James, and Peter exchanged looks. Obviously James had hit the nail on the head. Remus was being a bit defensive, and, even though he had not outright admitted to it, he did seem to fancy her.

"James," Sirius said softly, "don't."

"Don't what?" James whispered back as Remus busied himself by gathering his things.

"Don't give up on going after Evans to get those two together."

"Who says I was?" James asked with a mischievous grin. "I can multi-task."


	23. Chapter 23

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 23

Lily was seated amidst a silvery cloud coming from her potion, fuming nearly as much as the flames underneath it. She had been partnered with Sirius, which was bad in itself.

But Gen? She had been partnered with James.

Lily could barely see them through the silvery fog in the classroom, but she could just make out Gen trying to suppress her giggles and nodding vigorously at whatever it was James was saying.

"You look angry."

Lily glanced at Sirius, who had leaned back in his chair, studying her.

"I also didn't ask you." she said hotly. "Now hand me the scales."

"Say 'please'." Sirius teased. As she made to reach across him, he flicked his wand and sent them flying across the table.

Lily heaved a heavy sigh. "Please. Hand me the scales."

Sirius smiled faintly and sent the scales towards her. She continued to ignore him as she measured a few more ingredients and started to stir their potion. Well, her potion. He had done no work on it whatsoever.

"Why are you mad?" Sirius asked her, dropping his voice. "Is it James?"

She did not say anything. So he smiled to himself and added, "I figured it was something like that. Him and Moore?"

Lily glared at him. "What do you care, Black? You just want to cause trouble, don't you?"

"Maybe." Sirius said, his smile widening. "Really, though, Evans, I want to help. What are you thinking?"

"Nothing." she grumbled. 'Besides how cozy Gwen's gotten with Potter after those Quidditch practices.' she added silently.

"You want me to watch them for you?"

"Watch who?" Lily asked innocently.

"James and Gwendolyn."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, turning in her seat, abandoning her potion to face him. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Maybe." Sirius said again.

Lily shook her head violently. Why should she believe Sirius? He was probably trying to get on her nerves or start something that wasn't there. Gen said she wasn't with James.

But what it came down to was trust and whether or not Lily felt she could believe her.

She could not help herself. She glanced towards Gen and James again. James was leaning over and whispering to Gen, who had her hand clamped over her mouth, her cheeks pink.

"What's going on?" Lily demanded, turning to Sirius.

Instead of answering her, he pointed at their potion, which was starting to burn. She let out a noise of shock and outrage before trying to fix the scalding potion.

She did the best she could, but was sure she probably wasn't going to get a passing grade. "Oh, well." she sighed, packing her things and trying to ignore the tears brimming in her eyes. "One fail won't kill me."

She was the last one to leave the classroom. And she just knew she was going to be late for her next class, seeing as how the hall was completely empty.

What was her next class anyway? She dropped to her knees and fumbled around in her backpack for her new schedule. 

A free period. That was better than being late, she figured.

And no tutoring. Between Snape not showing up and being snippy, she was glad. There was no telling if Slughorn would need her to tutor anyone else, but she was sure she would have to turn him down.

Especially seeing as how the professors were already piling thoughts of N.E.W.T.S. in their heads.

'Like we need them to remind us.' she thought, finally making it to the Common Room. She dropped her bag beside the nearest empty chair and glanced around the room.

Nobody else was in there. Which meant some time to herself.

But instead, she decided to do some homework. At least she would have that done. She fumbled around in her bag and found her History of Magic book and a quill, ink, and parchment.

But instead of writing about dragons and their use in the vampire rebellion of 1679, she found herself doodling. Long, fluttery spirals, teeny tiny hearts, faeries. Anything that came to mind.

"What are you doing?"

Lily jumped, her ink bottle getting knocked over in the process.

"Oh, nothing now."

"Doodling is far better than doing essays, though."

She glanced up. And scowled.

"What do you want, Potter?" she demanded. 

"It's time for dinner, and Moore was wondering where you were. So I came up here." He took a second glance at her. "Anything on your mind?"

"Nothing." she said coldly. "Thank you for the reminder, but I'm not hungry. Go enjoy your dinner with Gwendolyn."

James stared as she threw her things in her bag before heading upstairs, utterly confused. What was on her mind? And why was she acting so jealous?

He'd have to put helping Gen and Remus find each other off. For now, this seemed far more important.


	24. Chapter 24

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 24

"You didn't."

"Oh, I did."

Remus and Sirius were seated in the library, James off at Quidditch practice, and they were not sure of Peter's whereabouts. Remus was trying to finish a Potions essay before the next night. And Sirius, reminded by the essay Remus was working on by what he had done in Potions, spilled to Remus.

"How could you do that?" Remus asked in a whisper as Madame Pince went by.

"Well, it was obvious she was jealous," Sirius began, "and so, I kind of helped it along."

"No," Remus began slowly, dropping his quill and rubbing his eyes, "what you did was blow James's chances with her."

"She fancies him." Sirius waved his hand. "It's obvious, Moony."

"It may be to you but not to James."

Remus picked up his quill and dipped it into his ink. He could not believe Sirius. What could provoke him to do such a thing to Lily?

Or James for that matter.

He could see no reason at all, besides to just be cruel. And that did seem somewhat Sirius-like.

He scratched out a line with his quill and sighed softly. He was too tired and confused to finish his essay. He may as well just turn it in half finished. It was, at least, better than nothing.

After rolling it up and tucking it in his bag, he left Sirius alone in the library. He wanted to go upstairs and sleep.

On second thought, he'd head to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey wouldn't mind giving him a mild sleeping potion.

He did not make it to the Hospital Wing. Instead, he found himself on the floor, having bumped into Gen. 

"Sorry." she said sheepishly, ignoring her fallen broomstick and offering her hand to him. "I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you OK?"

"Fine." he muttered, taking her hand and getting to his feet. "Just a little tired."

"I'm sorry." she said again.

"It's not your fault." Remus sighed. Then he glanced up at her. "Gwendolyn, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead." Gen said, bending to pick up her broom. "Anything." she added.

"Gwendolyn..." Remus paused, wondering if he should just blurt out his question. He decided that may be best. "Do you fancy James?"

Gen looked confused for a second, then smiled. "No, of course not. He's just a good friend. I am allowed guy friends, aren't I?"

"Of course." Remus said with a small smile. "I never said you weren't, did I?"

"No." She shifted her weight, shouldered her broom and blurted, "Why did you ask me that? I don't think I've ever given off that aura." She giggled. "Divination. It's getting to me."

"Seems like it." Remus agreed. The two of them began to head towards Gryffindor Tower, each watching the other out of the corner of their eye.

Remus had not answered her question. And she wanted to hear why he asked that. For a moment, she thought, 'Could he be jealous?' Then she shook her head. 'Not possible. I doubt he even knows I think of him that way.'

He watched her shake her head, wondering what she was thinking.

In the Common Room, they split up. She went to Marci and Celeste and he headed upstairs to go to bed.

"What's up?" Marci asked as Gen flopped down next to her. "You look... puzzled."

"I am." Gen admitted. She looked at the two of them, unsure if she should say anything. Especially to Celeste. But finally, she said, "Remus asked me if I fancy James. Do... I really seem like I do?"

Celeste and Marci exchanged a look before saying, "Yes!"

"Really?" Gen asked, looking at the both of them, trying to find something that could prove they were lying to her. "I do? Honestly?"

"Yes, you do." Celeste said.

"Well... you two do seem more than friends sometimes." Marci said softly, giving Gen a look that begged for forgiveness. She was sure Gen was about to go off the handle at them for saying that.

Instead Gen scoffed. "When? How?" she demanded of them.

"Why do you care?" Celeste asked. "I mean, if you'd rather not say, then that's fine. But, why? Why is it bothering you?"

"In truth?" Gen asked. "No idea. I guess I need to quit it, though."

Celeste looked at Marci, confused. She did not like that answer from Gen. And she was sure she knew. Or at least had an idea.

But she could not force Gen to say anything. Of that she was sure.

Again, she glanced at Gen. Gen seemed to be deep in thought.

"Well," Celeste whispered to Marci, sure that Gen would not overhear them, even if they were speaking regularly, "as long as she doesn't mess anything up, we can try to help her."

"Do you think we can?" Marci asked. "I mean... this is something she'll have to work on herself, isn't it?"

Celeste nodded. "But if she doesn't realize she does it, I don't think she can help herself."

"True..." Marci sighed. "Let's leave her be for a while. If she asks again, we can try."

Celeste agreed, silently unsure, though. Leaving it to Gen might mean having her avoid James entirely. And that was something neither of them wanted.


	25. Chapter 25

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 25

Lily laid on her bed, on her stomach, a Muggle spiral notebook in front of her. She was not using it as a journal, though she did have a regular Muggle ball point pen in front of her as well.

Unconsciously, she stuck the end of the pen in her mouth and began to chew on it.

"What are you doing?"

She glanced up and smiled at Marci. "Nothing, really." She even showed Marci the blank page she had been staring at for the past ten minutes. "See?"

"I see..." Marci trailed off slowly, then she sat down next to Lily. "Hey... listen, Celeste and I were talking to Gen a little while ago -- "

"And?" Lily asked hotly.

"And she doesn't like James."

"Like I care." Lily muttered.

Marci giggled. "Yeah, you do. And don't deny it. It's just me and you and I'm not the one who blabs everything. That's Celeste's job."

"Yeah, that's true." Lily said, cracking a smile. She sighed and dropped her pen and notebook. "You want the truth?"

"Please." Marci said with a smile. "It would be much more easier."

Lily opened her mouth then shut it quickly. She wasn't too sure what she wanted to say. But she was very glad it was Marci she was talking to. Marci was patient enough to wait for her to figure out what she wanted to say.

"I may..." Lily sighed. "I may fancy Potter, OK? I'm... just really confused right now."

"It's obvious." Marci smiled. "What's making you so confused?

"I don't know." Lily groaned and buried her face against her sheets. What she said next was muffled, but Marci could make out "And he's not worth it."

"Worth what?"

"The confusion!" Lily sat up and stared at Marci, strands of red hair falling in her face. "He's not worth it. At all!" She flopped down on her back and stared at the ceiling. "And not worth my time. Or so I thought."

"Well, if he's not, he's not." Marci stretched out and stood up. "You want me to help you try to forget about him?"

Lily waved her hand dismissively. "I've tried, believe me. I've tried homework, drawing, taking notes, trying to forget him, going out with other boys -- "

"How long has this been going on?" Marci asked, her green narrowing suspiciously.

"Since last year." Lily admitted with a sheepish smile. "But – but I thought I was over him. Especially during the summer, oh, it was so peaceful and prank-free!" Lily sighed reminiscently.

"Yeah, it was." Marci said softly. "But they're been OK this year, haven't they? I mean, none of us have had to go to the Hospital Wing. And Snape's only gone, what, a dozen or so times?"

"That's not the point." Lily sighed. "I'm not saying I want to change him, because you really shouldn't change for anyone or anything, but if he were less... James-like... I'd definitely think of going out with him."

Marci giggled and said, "Well, I think if half the boys at Hogwarts didn't act like themselves, anyone would consider dating them."

"That's true." Lily grinned and added, "Though good looks do help that. A lot!"

"So you're saying Potter's good looking?" Marci teased.

"I did not!" Lily laughed and added, "OK... he has gorgeous eyes, but that's it!"

Marci squealed and hopped up and down. "Oh, you admit it! Just wait until I tell -- "

"No!" Lily pleaded. "Please, no telling!"

Marci smirked for a moment or two, then broke into a fit of giggles. "I won't. I promise. I told you I wouldn't."

"You'd better not." Lily looked horrified. "If this gets to Gen, or worse, Celeste? Oh, I think I need to send an application to Beauxbatons."

"You think that's far enough?" Marci asked with a smile.

Lily frowned and looked at the floor, thinking. "You're right..." she said slowly. "What's the name of the furthest American school?"

The two girls began to giggle. Once they settled down, both of them rosy cheeks from laughing, and Lily had even shed a few tears of laughter, Marci sat cross-legged on Lily's bed and asked, "So, can I ask you one more thing?"

"What's that?" Lily asked, picking up her falling notebook and looking around for the pen she had dropped as well.

"Can you help me with my Potions?"

Lily stared at her for a moment or two before grabbing her pillow and hitting Marci with it. "That's all you wanted!"

"Yeah..." Marci grinned and dodged another pillow attack. "Yeah it was."

"You're worse than Gen!"

"I am not!" Marci looked highly offended. "Nobody is! And hey, I helped you, you help me."

"Fine." Lily said, feeling a whole lot better now that she had talked to someone. "Go get your homework, we'll figure it out."

"Thanks!" Marci raced downstairs for her bag.

Lily shook her head smiling. She decided she would have to talk to Marci more often. Even if Marci did have other motives.


	26. Chapter 26

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 26

Over the next few days, Lily felt much better, having gotten that out. But, she was soon buried under a pile of homework. In fact, all the seventh years did.

One evening, she found herself in the library, an entire table taken up with runes books and paper, several bits of parchment, an empty ink bottle and another one close to it, Potions essays and notes, along with Notes for Charms and History of Magic.

"Oh, boy." she muttered to herself, rubbing her eyes. "I'll be glad when this is over."

She did not realize how tired she was. She merely rested her head on her arms for a moment or two, to rest her eyes.

And the next thing she knew, she woke up in pitch blackness, besides the light from the full moon coming out of the window behind her.

"Great." she whispered. "Wonderful! How could I have fallen asleep?"

With a tiny groan, she began to stuff things randomly into her back, panting softly.

"Look what you've got yourself into!"

She pushed the doors to the library open, peering around the doors to make sure the hall was empty. What was she going to say if someone caught her? She wasn't supposed to be out in the halls. She had not had to patrol the corridors in months!

At the end of the hall she stopped and dropped her bag. She knelt and began to rummage through it, looking for her mirror. Like it would do her much good to use it to look around corners before going around them.

If she ran into Dumbledore, he would understand, surely. But Filch! Or McGonagall, even!

"Lily?"

She winced, knowing she was in trouble. But when she hesitantly opened an eye, she found herself face-to-face with James.

For once, she was speechless.

"This is the second time I've caught you out after dark."

"I – I could say the same." Lily squeaked. "What are you doing out?" she demanded, getting the old snap back in her voice and praying silently that he had not noticed her squeak.

"Come here." James reached into his pockets and pulled out a silvery cloak. He nodded and draped it over them both. "We can't have you in trouble, can we?"

"Where did you get this?" she breathed. "I wanted to ask before, but I wasn't sure... They're supposed to be -- "

"I know, I know." She could not see him grin, but he was nonetheless. "It's my dad's. I'm supposed to use it in emergencies."

"And sneaking out is an emergency?"

James did not answer her. Of course it was an emergency. But he could not say one of his best friends was a werewolf, now could he? Of course not. Not to Lily, anyway.

She was glad he could not see her in the dark. She was blushing, she was sure of it. She was so close she could feel his heart racing slightly as the two of them hurried up the stairs and along the halls.

And the smell of his cologne!

"Do you need to slow down?"

"What?" she asked, glancing over at him.

"Do you need to slow down?" James repeated softly. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to running underneath the cloak with someone of your height. Except Peter, but I rarely let him under it. Sirius and Remus are pretty tall, so is Gwen, no offense meant or anything, but she's got a good few inches on you and -- "

"I know what you're getting at. Those long legs of hers." Lily sighed. "We can slow down. We're nearly to the Common Room anyway."

"So," James began as the slowed down, the Fat Lady in sight, "why were you out so late? It's not like you."

"I fell asleep." Lily admitted sheepishly. "In the library. All this work, it's too much. And you lot have Remus to lean on. How do you do it?" she asked suddenly.

"Do what?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Quidditch and homework. How do you manage?"

James shrugged. He wasn't too sure on that himself. But he managed, that was true.

By then, they were at the Fat Lady. She raised her eyebrows as James pulled off the cloak and muttered the password. He was panting a bit and the Fat Lady barely understood, but she swung open anyway.

"And what were you doing out?" Lily demanded as James folded his cloak and headed for the stairs. He stopped to look at her.

"Why do you ask, Evans?"

"Because, you asked me. And you're out an awful lot." She swallowed hard, surprised at how she felt about the thought. But she asked the question that was on her mind anyway.

"Meeting some girl from another house?"

James looked more than surprised by that. "What?" he asked, suppressing a bit of laughter. "Another girl in another house? Are you joking?"

"No." Lily muttered. She looked at her feet. "No, I'm not."

James smiled softly. Now that was a reaction he was never expecting to see from her. But he loved it.

"There's not a girl, Evans. It's something else. Something that I can't say. I had to swear secrecy, but it's in... someone's... best interest. But there's no girl." he said again.

Still smiling, he turned back upstairs. "Good night." he called over his shoulder.

"Good night." she murmured, waiting until she could not hear his footsteps anymore. She turned in a sudden movement and raced up to the girls' dorm.

Silently, she hoped that word would not get out of what she asked him. Or how she acted. But even more silently, if that were possible, she was hoping that he would try one last time to ask her to Hogsmeade.


	27. Chapter 27

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: Yeah, I know, I updated last night, but I felt like updating again. Actually, I wasn't too sure what I wanted to update today.

Chapter 27

The four girls were seated in the shade of a large beech by the lake. They had, surprisingly, finished the massive pile of homework that had been assigned. And they wanted to enjoy some free time.

Gen was leaning against the tree, her eyes shut, a tiny smile playing at her lips. Celeste was on her back with her arms folded behind her head. At first glance, one would think to her be asleep. Marci was on her stomach, watched a small beetle crawl along a leaf. And Lily was sitting cross-legged, her hair falling her face as she tried to fight sleep.

"You have Quidditch practice tonight, Gwen?" Celeste asked.

"Mm-hmm." Gen murmured. "Why do you ask?"

"We might nip down to watch." Celeste said. "There's nothing else to do. Except study."

"Now, now, Celeste, I think studying's in our best interest." Gen said, even though she sounded as though she did not believe it was.

"You're just saying that because, right now, your favorite sandy-haired person is up in Gryffindor Tower, his face buried in a book."

"Yes, there is that." Gen muttered.

"Are you going to suck it up and ask him to Hogsmeade with you?" Lily asked, leaning against Gen. "Come on... the two of you would be adorable together! And I think he might enjoy it."

Gen started to shake her head before Lily had even finished talking. "No, I can't. He's not interested."

"Oh come on!" Marci sat up and stared at Gen. "To me, it's obvious. He is, he doesn't want to make the first move, though."

Gen continued to shake her head. "No, he's not. So leave it alone, OK?"

"Since when did you become an expert?" Celeste asked, opening one eye and staring at Marci. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No," Marci said softly, "but unlike you, I find it very easy to read people."

"Uh-huh." It was apparent that Celeste did not believe her. But instead of arguing with Marci, Celeste turned to Gen. "Just ask him! Or, if not, then I'll ask him."

"Go ahead." Gen muttered. "See if I care."

Celeste grinned at the other two girls. It was obvious to all three of them that Gen, indeed, cared. But she was putting on a good face.

"Oh great." she heard Celeste sigh. "Speaking off, here comes Remus and his merry misfits."

The four of them glanced up. Celeste was right; Remus, James, Sirius and Peter were heading towards their favorite spot. Sirius was saying something that Peter seemed to find funny, while James grinned and nodded.

"Wonder what they're talking about." Lily watched them with interest, her eyebrows nearly meeting.

Gen and Celeste exchanged looks. Marci could not see Lily's expression and was not bothered by it as the other two were.

"Probably something stupid they did." Celeste said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know how they are. Something we find immature... childish... they find hysterical."

"Yeah..." Lily began slowly. "Yeah... that's right..."

"What is it, Evans?" Celeste demanded. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing." Lily sighed. "Nothing at all. Why would something be on my mind?"

"Because you sound distracted." Gen answered. She glanced over at the boys, who, it seemed, had not noticed them. "Would you like to talk about this elsewhere?"

"There's nothing to talk about." Lily grabbed a strand of red hair and began to twirl it between her fingers. "Honest. Nothing at all. So can we drop this, please?"

Gen smiled softly and whispered, "Well, ask him. To Hogsmeade. I'll ask Remus if you ask James."

Lily stared at her, trying to will her cheeks from becoming pink. "No way." she whispered. "I can't ask him! What – what would the school think? I've rejected him so many times and -- "

"Pish. Posh." the other three said together.

"Lily, just ask him. It won't kill you."

Lily, however, looked as though she believe that to be true. "I can't ask him." she said softly. "Just like Gen can't ask Remus -- "

" -- James IS interested!"

Lily shook her head. "Listen, if he doesn't ask me to go with him, then... I'll try to bump into him when we go. But if he does... I promise all three of you I will say yes."

"Don't give the poor boy a heart attack, now." Gen teased.

"I won't." Lily smiled. She glanced over at the boys now, noticing that James had his back to them. She frowned slightly.

"Let's go inside." she murmured. "I'm – I just remembered, I forgot to do something."

None of the other girls bought that, but understood what Lily actually meant. She did not feel she could be around James just then. So, silently, the four headed back to the tower.

Lily curled up in a chair in the corner of the room. The other three settled nearby.

"Will you go if he asks?" Marci whispered.

Lily nodded. "I will, but only if he asks. I don't understand him, though. Not at all."

"Who does?" Gen asked. "But we'll try to help." she added with a smile.

"Thanks." Lily cracked a smile of her own. "I knew I could count on you three."


	28. Chapter 28

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 28

Lily, Celeste, and Marci were settled in the stands at the Quidditch Pitch. They were watching the team practice, and Celeste was willing to bet money on Gen having to go to the Hospital Wing.

"She almost always gets beaned." Celeste argued, trying not to laugh at the look on Marci's face. "It's a given."

"And that's quite cruel, Celeste." Marci muttered.

"Taking bets on me?"

The three of them glanced up as Gen paused mid-flight to speak with them, the Quaffle tucked under her arm. She smiled at the three of them, but then quickly ducked a Bludger that had tried to follow her.

She turned to see who had tried to hit her and heard Lily's squeal. The Bludger just missed her as well.

The four looked together and saw James yelling at one of their Beaters. Gen shook her head, smiled at the girls, then took off.

"Are you OK?" Marci asked, turning to Lily, who looked a little bit shaken.

"Barbaric." Lily managed to say. "This sport is just bloody barbaric."

She managed to get out of her seat and headed off the pitch. She was not going to come back to the pitch unless she absolutely had to.

And she could think of no reason for that.

Behind her, she heard the sound of someone landing. But she was determined to ignore whoever it was. She did not feel like speaking to anyone associated with the sport of Quidditch right then and there.

But at the sound of the very familiar "Hey, Evans!" she stopped.

"What?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Are... you didn't get hit, did you?" James asked, panting slightly.

Lily glanced at him from behind a strand of red hair. "No." she said darkly. "I didn't."

"Sorry about that. I've told them time and again not to hit at anyone near the stands."

Lily bit back what she really wanted to say to him. Instead, she managed a fake smile and said, "Well, tell them to control themselves next time. Gen can hit the Bludgers just fine herself."

James grinned and nodded in agreement. "That she can." He socked his head and stared at her. "Can I ask you one more thing?"

"What?" she asked apprehensively.

"Will you go with to Hogsmeade in the morning?"

Lily scowled, but it quickly changed into a smile. "Sure, I'll go. Hey, will you do something for me? Please?"

"Anything." James said eagerly.

Lily turned to fully face him and smiled. "Gwen... can you talk to Remus for her? See if he's willing to meet her somewhere tomorrow?"

James grinned, quite glad to see he wasn't the only one interested in getting Gen with Remus. "I surely will, if it means anything to you."

"Oh, it does. She won't ask him herself." Lily began. "She says he's not interested, which I don't see where she gets that myself."

James wanted to say he knew better than Gen, but did not. Instead, he said, "I'll talk to him in a bit, when we get done here." He glanced back at the pitch and sighed. "Which won't be too long." Then, with a small smile, he added, "Best get back to the safety of the castle, unless you want another stray Bludger coming your way."

"Right, right." she sighed. She headed back to the castle as he headed back to the pitch.

At the door, she paused and glanced back at the pitch. She could see no players, so she figured James had stopped the practice. From what she saw, they really could have used the practice. The holidays must have made them lazy or something.

She shook her head slightly and headed into the school. On the way up to Gryffindor Tower, she had to take a little detour, as a group of Slytherins were heading down to their Common Room after a trip to the library, and she was not too interested in running into them.

So she ducked into an empty classroom and silently wished she had James's Invisibility Cloak.

But they passed without taking notice to her. She slipped out of the room and made a dash for the stairs, but found herself upside-down, a few feet off the floor.

"Evans."

"Black." Lily said, wincing slightly as she heard the sound of her wand clattering to the floor. "Practicing? Why not use firsties as dummies, hmm?"

Bellatrix smirked. "Oh, they're too fast. And know how long to wait to make sure we've actually gone by."

Lily huffed. She was sure Bellatrix had seen her and was just waiting to pounce. So far, she had left them alone nearly all year. She must have wanted to make up for that.

The next thing Lily knew, she had a quick glimpse of Bellatrix's legs and arms snapping together before she was making fast friends with the floor.

"Sorry." She took James's hand and got to her feet. 

"It's fine." Lily muttered. She was feeling a bit sore already from hitting the floor, but it would go away soon enough. "Leave her here?" she asked, glancing a Bellatrix.

"Someone will find her, surely." James agreed.

The two of them silently headed back to the Common Room, saying their good nights as they split up, Lily going to the girls' dorm and James to the boys'.

Where he found Remus settled in bed, folding and tucking a letter from his parents back into the envelope before throwing it on the table by his bed.

"Mum and Dad say hello and send their love." he said, glancing up at James.

"Ah, I love your parents, mate." James smiled. "They're great. But, ah, anything else in there?" he asked, hoping that the letter would say something about finding a girl he could bring home.

"Same things as the others." Remus shrugged. "Study, be careful, find a girlfriend, those sorts of things."

"Speaking of..." James trailed off with a grin. "You need to ask Gen to Hogsmeade tomorrow."

"I need to?" Remus asked, trying not to show his surprise. "Says who?"

"Me." James told him. "And Evans."

"Lily?"

"She's going with me tomorrow."

Remus stared for a moment, then smiled. "Never thought I'd see the day."

"Me neither." James admitted, "but that's not what we're discussing. Ask her. Tomorrow morning."

"Or...?" Remus demanded.

"Or I'll write a letter to your mummy and tell her everything about you and Gen, like how you fancy her, but won't ask her. And how she fancies you, but don't think you fancy her and..." James trailed off as Remus stuffed his fingers in his ears.

But James meant it. If Remus did not ask Gen, he would write Remus's mother.

But before that, he needed some sleep. He had a big day the next day and intended to be fully awake so he could enjoy himself.


	29. Chapter 29

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: I just LOVE updating and having no one read a single thing because someone cannot keep the alerts fixed.

Chapter 29

James was up bright and early, one of the first people awake and eating breakfast when everyone else started dragging themselves into the Great Hall. He watched as Lily, Gen, Celeste, and Marci settled down at their favorite end of the table.

He wondered if they would mind if he got up and joined them, but decided against it as Remus, Sirius, and Peter joined him.

"There she is, go on." he prodded, so softly that only Remus could hear him.

Remus glanced at Gen, then shook his head and stuffed a bit of toast in his mouth.

"Then I'll be penning a letter to your mother." James said softly. He got to his feet and left Remus to ponder how he could keep James from writing that letter. With a small grin to himself, James headed over to the girls and politely plopped down between Gen and Lily.

"Morning." he said.

"Morning." the four chorused.

Gen, Celeste, and Marci were not in a talkative mood it seemed. Right after he had sat down and greeted them, the three girls got to their feet and bade Lily and James good-bye as they headed off to Hogsmeade.

"Guess they want something to happen." Lily said softly.

"I guess so." James smiled. "Ready?"

"I guess." Lily got to her feet and headed off, with James hurrying to his feet and racing to catch her.

The two were silent on the walk to the village. Once they were in Hogsmeade, it seemed they had different ideas as to where they were going to go.

But finally, after much arguing from Lily that she needed to buy a few things and not just browse, the two headed inside Honeyduke's.

"My treat," James said, "since you have so much you need to buy."

Lily tried to suppress a smile as she and James loaded up on Chocolate Frogs, Every Flavour Beans, Licorice Wands, Ice Mice, Sugar Quills, and just about anything else they could think of. Lily grinned slightly as she picked up a handful of Peppermint Toads.

"Gen hates them." she explained. "So I'm getting them just for her."

"I never knew she hated them." James said as he paid for their sweets. "You want to get her some more?"

"No, I think she'll kill me for these as it is." Lily giggled.

The two left the shop, each holding their bag. Lily glanced at James out the corner of her eye. She found him watching her, too, so she quickly looked straight ahead, trying to will herself from blushing.

Reluctantly, she let him take her inside Zonko's. But as she browsed the shelves of tricks and gags, she started to form an idea.

'We should prank them.' she thought. 'Get them back for seven years of pranks and gags and tricks and jokes and awful flirting.'

She giggled at the thought and found James looking at her curiously. "Nothing." she said softly. "Just thinking."

"OK." James was unsure if he should believe that she was "just thinking". But he let it slide. Besides the thought that nagged him at the back of his head, anyway.

'This can't be a trick.' he thought as the two of them window shopped, holding tightly to their bags. 'Please don't let this be a trick.'

"Hey James?" Lily asked, glancing at him. "Can we go in The Three Broomsticks? I'm getting thirsty."

"Sure thing."

The two turned and headed to the pub. Once inside, they spotted Gen, Celeste, Marci, and a couple boys the year below them from Ravenclaw at one table.

"Want to see what's going on?" Lily asked with a small smirk.

James nodded. The two of them fought against the crowd and finally made it to the girls and the Ravenclaw boys. "Hey, Gwen." James said sweetly, sliding in between her and one of the Ravenclaws. "How are you doing?"

"Fine." Gen said hotly. She looked less than thrilled to be there. "Um, Lily, can I ask you something? Privately?"

Lily nodded and the two of them ducked into the ladies room, after a bit of difficulty from Gen as she tried to get out of the booth.

"Thank you!" Gen said softly, giving Lily a quick hug. "Oh, gosh, I'm glad you two came along. Gives me a reason to get away from Celeste and her flock of Ravenclaws."

Lily smiled. "You can come with me and James if you want to."

"No thanks, I'm going to head back to the castle." Gen sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "What a terrible trip."

"I'm sorry." Lily said sympathetically. "I've been having some fun. And, hey, listen, we have got to prank the Marauders. We've got to."

Gen grinned. "Brilliant!"

The two headed out of the bathroom, their heads together, planning. Once Gen reached the table, Lily took her and James's bags and asked Gen if she would take them back to the castle with her.

"Sure will. Have fun!"

Gen waved and smiled, giving Lily a wink before fighting her way through the crowded pub and out the door.

James saw the wink the girls shared. And he wondered what that was about.

As they left the pub, and Lily did the shopping she needed, he was silent, answered anything she said with a small nod or shake of his head.

Finally, as the two headed to the castle, Lily sighed and stood in front of him, her arms folded over her chest. "James, what is it? I thought today was fun. And then you go all silent and moody. It's like being with Gen. What is it?"

"Nothing." he said with a false smile. "Nothing at all. It's getting cold. Let's head back. Plus I'm hungry."

Lily sighed softly. "Fine. Let's go."

She was silent, too. She thought this had gone well between them, but she must have been wrong.


	30. Chapter 30

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 30

After the rest of a quiet weekend, James found himself in History of Magic, bored out of his mind, avoiding Lily's gaze, and staring at a blank bit of parchment.

What he needed to do was take notes. What he wanted to do was write a letter to Remus's mother. And nothing was coming to mind. His mind felt blank.

With a soft sigh, he rested his head on his arms. He was nearly asleep when he felt something hit him on the head.

Shaking his head a bit to clear it and wake himself up, he stared at the folded square of parchment for a near minute before picking it up and unfolding it. It seemed to be torn from notes that someone had taken.

"_Dragons were a vital part in the battles between Grindelwald and his followers and the Ministry and those who fought against them. Using dragons, Grindelwald -- "_

The rest was torn off, but under that, Lily had written _Anything wrong, James?_

He looked for a space to reply to her, but found none. Instead, he took the parchment in front of him and wrote a quick reply back to her.

_No, nothing really. Just bored out of my skull and trying to think of what I'm going to write to Remus's mother._

He balled it up and tossed it to her. She fumbled it and caught it between her fingertips, which caused him to smile softly to himself.

_His mother? s_he wrote. _Why are you writing to his mother?_

_It's a long story._ James wrote back. _You know Gwen fancies him, right? He fancies her as well and yet something is keeping him from asking her out. And his mother wants him to find a girl, you know, like all mums do. So I wanted to write all that to her. _

_So you want to interfere?_

It seemed as though Lily disapproved, even though James could not tell by her writing. He waited a moment, trying to figure out what he was going to say to her.

_Yes and no. I want to help them along. Both of them need a guide._

_And you think you're the one to do that? _ Now she seemed disbelieving.

_Yes, I do. I do more than break rules and play Quidditch, Evans._

When Lily read that, she made a noise that was between a scoff and a giggle.

_Listen Potter, just leave them be. I know how Gen feels about him. And I know for a fact that both of them won't be too thrilled to have you write a letter to his mother. Just leave it alone. If they want to get together, they'll get together. Kind of like us._

James stared at those last four words for what felt like an eternity. By the time he picked up his quill and touched it to his parchment, the class was over and nearly everyone was filing out.

He shook his head, spotted Sirius trying to read the parchment and crumpled it up, chucking it in his bag along with his book.

He had a free period, and was very thankful for it. His homework had been piling up and with the N.E.W.T.S. very visible on the horizon, he needed to do it and study and not worry about Gen and Remus getting together and whatever was going on between himself and Lily Evans.

But he could not help but think about those things. They were, after all, much more interesting than homework.

He wound up pulling a bit of parchment out of his bag and started to brainstorm and doodle on it. Soon, he was lost in plans that would never work and doodles of anything and everything that had popped into his mind, including, but not limited to, a Snitch, his beloved Kneazle, and a plant they had studied in Herbology.

"What are you doing, James?"

"Peter!" James shouted, jumping nearly a foot out of his chair. "Don't sneak up on people! It's very... vermin-like."

"Sorry." Peter did not sound so sorry. "But you're missing lunch." he added.

James stared at him, then asked, "What class have we got next?"

"Transfiguration." Peter shrugged. "Double period."

James checked that he had his Transfiguration book in his bag and headed down to the Great Hall for lunch. He was not sure why he was so scatter-brained. But he was not going to let it bother him.

After all, he felt he had more important things to worry about. Things that did not involve changing a snail into something large and complex, like McGonagall had hinted at their last lesson.

Though Transfiguration did not bother him. It never had.

He sat down at the table, next to Sirius and a girl the year below them. She was saying something to him, but he did not seem too interested.

"Get anything done?" Sirius asked, glad that James had shown up. He deemed him a worthy distraction from the girl beside him and made sure that she was aware his attention was fully on James.

"Not at all." James sighed. "And I don't think I'll be getting anything done next lesson either."

"Skip, then."

"Can't." James said, his mouth full of potato. "McGonagall would be after my blood and you know it."

"True. Just prepare yourself for extra homework, then."

James had already prepared himself for that. He didn't think he could manage it, but he would have to try. It seemed like he had a lot to try and the year was drawing closer and closer to a close.

Would he be able to manage it all?


	31. Chapter 31

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 31

It felt like their last night of freedom for a while. The N.E.W.T.S. would be starting the following morning. And instead of studying, as they should have, the four girls and the Marauders were all settled together in the corner of the Common Room, some more happy for them to be together than others.

Gen and Lily, for example, would have much rather liked to be upstairs, planning their prank on the boys. Peter seemed timid, especially since Gen was seated on his left and Celeste was on the other side of Sirius, who was on his right.

"You lot are going to help me, aren't you?" James teased. "I mean, you know, no one caught us passing those balled up notes during our O.W.L.S. Sirius."

"They didn't, did they?" Sirius asked, leaning back and smiling reminiscently.

The four girls gave the two of them as horrible looks as they could muster. "And that is because you two can get away with anything." Celeste said hotly.

"Yeah, we can." James smiled. "Well, in Hogwarts, anyway. At home, my mother's always catching anything I do."

"Aww," Gen began sympathetically, "Mummy don't want her widdle boy to get in twuble."

The four girls giggled. James stared at them, wondering why he ever told Gen how... spoiled he was. But instead of bringing out his own weapon against her, he smiled.

"Don't worry, Gwennie," he said, "I'll be sure to pass you a note or two, too. Maybe you'll get caught."

Gen gave him a look and crossed her arms over her chest.

James and Sirius could tell they were about to lose the girls, and they did not want that to happen. Sirius looked pleadingly to James, but James was just as befuddled.

"James, we need to be studying," Lily began softly, getting to her feet, followed quickly by Gen and Celeste, "or sleeping." She feigned a yawn.

"Come on, stay a little bit longer!" James pleaded. "We can study together, can't we?" He tried to give Lily a sweet smile, one that would hopefully make her melt and give in.

It did not work.

"Come on girls." Lily said. "Let's leave them to their... studying."

Sirius and James were annoyed that the girls left them. They turned to Remus, hoping he could somehow get them to come back, only to find him buried in a Transfiguration textbook he had borrowed from the library.

"Remus!" James and Sirius said together. "This is no time for studying!"

"Oh isn't it?" Remus asked. "James, I've got to at least keep up in Transfiguration. Remember..." he glanced around the Common Room nervously, "I don't have as many nights to study as you three do."

"Studying!" James shouted, getting to his feet. "Is that all you do?"

Remus sighed softly and slammed his book shut. "Why did you want them here?" he asked. "What does having the girls here have to do with anything? Especially our upcoming tests."

James was quiet. He wanted the girls around to show that he was not a fool, but seemingly wound up being one in front of them.

He flopped back down in his chair and picked up the nearest book, turned to a page at random, and began to read.

It was not his book. A folded square of parchment fell into his lap. Sirius and Peter, playing Wizard's Chess, did not notice. Nor did Remus, who was writing something down on his own bit of parchment.

Should he open it, or should he not? He wasn't too sure. It must have been personal, or at least not meant to be seen if it was folded and tucked away in a book.

Or maybe it was just forgotten. Only one way to find out, it seemed.

Glancing again at the other three, he unfolded and it and started to read. By the end of the long, self addressed letter, he was confused and yet, kind of happy, too.

"What you got, Prongs?" Sirius asked, leaning back in his chair, tearing his gaze from his queen clubbing Peter's bishop.

"Nothing." James said quickly, folding up the letter and tucking it away in his robes. "I... think I'll go to bed. Get a good night's rest so I'm up and ready for our Charms exam in the morning."

"'Night, then." Remus, Peter, and Sirius muttered. James headed upstairs, silently wishing he could go up to the girls' dorms and speak to Lily, or at least give her her letter back. But he knew the school would not allow him that.

Vaguely, he wondered if a Polyjuice Potion would work in getting him into their dorm. But he did not have the time, ingredients, or Potions skills to make one.

As he stepped into the dorm, which was a mess, between them getting lazy due to all the studying and the lack of House Elf cleaning, he spotted his broom, and, without really thinking what he was doing, he grabbed it, pointed his wand at the window to open them, and flew out.

It was a short flight to the girls' dorm, not even a minute. Carefully, he peeked inside. Lily was sitting on the edge of her bed, clad in her pajamas, and brushing her hair.

His fingers shaking slightly, he reached out and tapped on the window. She jumped, startled, and stared at him for nearly a minute before timidly getting up and opening the window.

"Here," he whispered, thrusting the parchment in her hands, "good night."

Without saying anything else to her, he flew off. She stared, before hearing Gen stir behind her hangings. She quickly shut the window and dove into bed, staring at the letter she had written herself months and months ago.

She did not now what to think. She was angry he had seen it, but glad he had brought it back. She pushed it under her pillow and fell asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow, her fingers touching the parchment.


	32. Chapter 32

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 32

Gen sat in the Great Hall staring blankly at the parchment in front of her. It was their first N.E.W.T. and she was drawing a blank.

'Why can't you fill yourself up?' she thought, lowering her quill down to the parchment, then picking it back up.

Potions was not her favorite subject by far, and she was dreading the exam in the afternoon. And the fact that whatever potion they would be preparing was a surprise made it that much more worse.

She shook her head and she did, she caught sight of Remus, his head bent low over his parchment, scribbling away. She sighed wistfully, then shook her head and stared at her parchment.

_What essential ingredient gives an Invisibility Potion its powers, making it useless unless it is added?_

'I know this.' Gen's lips moved silently as she thought. 'I KNOW this!'

Letting out a silent groan, she stared ahead at the front of the hall, at the hour glass that showed how much time they had left. It was over half empty.

And her parchment wasn't even halfway full.

Skipping the question about the Invisibility Potion, she went on to the next one. She read the question, re-read, and read once more before she finally understood it. She did not know the answer, but scribbled something down anyway.

She did the same thing to the next three questions. She found herself going back to the Invisibility Potion. Lily had quizzed her on it that morning! Why couldn't she remember it?

"Oh." she sighed. "What is it?"

She glanced up at the hour glass again. Judging by the small amount of sand left, she figured she had about five minutes, at most.

Which called for some power skimming. Any question she saw that she had some remote idea to the answer, she quickly wrote something there.

"Quills down!"

Gen sighed loudly at that call, but rolled her test up and dropped her head on her arms, just barely able to see Remus between her arms and her bangs. She saw him get to his feet, sling his bag over his shoulder, and head to the door before someone thumped her on the back of the head.

"What?" she demanded, tuning in her seat.

"Stop staring." James whispered. "It'll get you in trouble."

"Oh shut it." she sighed, stuffing her parchment and quill and ink back in her bag but not bothering to get to her feet. "I can stare if I want to. And I wasn't staring, per se," she added, "I was studying your handsome friend."

"You did more studying of him than you did your test." James smirked.

Gen rolled her eyes and got to her feet. "I failed." she said sincerely. "Potions and me... not best friends. And we never will be."

James smiled and nodded. "Though, I may have done better than you. I think I actually answered two questions."

Gen shook her head but said nothing. The two of them headed into the Entrance Hall, where Remus, Sirius, and Peter were waiting for him. Gen said a very hasty good-bye and practically dashed upstairs.

"What was that about?" Sirius asked, watching Gen as her black hair disappeared around a corner.

"No idea." James lied. "Let's go outside?" he asked, inclining his head.

The four of them headed onto the grounds to relax a bit before lunch and their practical exam that afternoon. After flopping down under their favorite beech tree, James silently wished that the girls would join them in the nearby spot where they had after their O.W.L.S.

But with Gen cowering upstairs and Evans no doubt running through her Potions notes for the last time before their practical exam, that did not seem possible.

"James?"

He turned his attention back to Sirius, who was leaning against the tree, watching him.

"Nothing." he said softly, answering Sirius's unasked question. "Just thinking."

Sirius gave him an inquisitive look, but James ignored it. He stared at Remus instead as he thumbed through _Tricky Potions: One Wrong Splash... _

"Moony, put that away." he sighed. "We won't know what we're making and cramming more into your head will just make you mess up whatever it is we have to do."

"I know," Remus sighed, "but it's not like it'll hurt much."

James and Sirius exchanged looks over Peter's head.

"Moony, about tonight..." James began, trailing off as Remus stared him down over the top of his book.

"Forget it. You three need to study. I'll be fine."

"But -- "

Remus continued to stare them down. Then he said, "Honestly, I don't even know why I'm taking these exams. You three have reasons to do it. Not me. It's not like it'll influence anything. So you three study. I'll be fine one full moon by myself. Nothing is going to get me."

Remus seemed to think the conversation was over. He slammed his book shut and tucked it in his bag before getting to his feet and heading back to the castle.

"Poor guy." Sirius said softly. "This has him bothered, doesn't it?"

James nodded, wishing there was something they could do.

Unfortunately, he could not think of a single thing. And the Great Hall was proof of that during their practical exams. It seemed as though the sparkling blue mess would not come off the walls and floor.

Filch was glaring daggers at James as he left the Hall without a word to anyone. He knew where he was going. Maybe Dumbledore could help him help Remus.


	33. Chapter 33

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 33

It was only when James was facing the gargoyle in front of the staircase leading to Dumbledore's office, he realized he had absolutely no idea what the password was.

He stood staring at the gargoyle, silently willing it to move, when he heard footsteps. And he had no time to hide.

"Potter, what are you doing?" McGonagall demanded.

"Trying to get the gargoyle to move so I can speak to Dumbledore?" James said, not quite sure of what he was doing himself.

"And why would you need to speak to the Headmaster?" McGonagall asked, shifting the parchment she was holding to her other hand.

James muttered something that did not seem to be a reasonable reason to McGonagall.

"I'm sorry." She did not seem sorry. "You should be studying for your next exam."

"But this is important!" James argued. "It's far more important than exams." Which was partly true and partly a bluff.

She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Fortunately for James, Dumbledore had not even been in his office at all. He was coming down the hall, smiling curiously at the pair waiting in front of his gargoyle.

"And what is all this?" he asked as he joined them.

"Potter says he needs to talk to you." McGonagall told him. She handed him the parchment she was holding and inclined her head slightly, making James curious. Did she know what he wanted to speak to Dumbledore about?

Dumbledore waited until she had walked off to tun his attention to James. It seemed as though he knew what James wanted.

But then, Dumbledore seemed to know everything.

"Sugar quills." he said softly to the gargoyle, which moved aside so that James and Dumbledore could get on the staircase.

James stayed silent until he was settled in the chair across from Dumbledore's desk. He waited patiently for Dumbledore to thumb through the stack of parchment McGonagall had given him.

James glanced around the office, taking note that the former heads were wide awake and not bothering to feign sleep. They were all watching him curiously, and yet some looked as though they felt he should not have been there at that time.

"James?" Dumbledore asked, setting the parchment aside and giving James his full attention now.

James snapped back to attention and before saying anything else, he blurted, "It's not fair."

"May I ask what is not fair?" Dumbledore asked.

"Remus." James had thought of what he was going to say beforehand, but once he was in the near-private settings of the study, everything went out of his head. "It's not fair." he said again. "He can't... the tests... there's nothing you can do about it, is there?"

Dumbledore was silent yet again. James could hear the previous Heads whispering among themselves.

"Once I found the date of the exam, I tried to get some strings pulled for him." Dumbledore began softly. "Needless to say, the Ministry refused. They seem to think me a bit... touched... to allow a werewolf to come here. And they flat out refuse to give him special treatment. So I spoke with the examiners in turn, and they refused to stay an extra half day for him as well."

"But it's not right." James muttered, more to himself than to Dumbledore.

"It isn't." Dumbledore agreed.

"Can't you -- ?"

"I would if I could. But the Ministry probably would not consider his scores if I administered the exam."

James sighed and leaned back in his chair. "And there's nothing -- ?"

"Nothing."

James exhaled heavily and got to his feet. He muttered a word of thanks to Dumbledore before leaving.

He skipped dinner, finding himself in the Common Room, his nose buried in a Transfiguration book without even seeing the words, much less taking them in.

A few hours later and he had not even moved.

"Prongs?" Sirius asked softly, poking James with the end of his quill. "Hey, anyone in there?"

"Huh?" James finally broke his gaze from the book and stared at Sirius. "What?" he asked, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

"Can I borrow that book since you aren't using it?"

James said nothing. He just pushed the book to Sirius and took up staring at the full moon outside the window as though it had done him a great injustice.

And in a way, it had.

Then, he had an idea.

"Sirius?" he asked softly, still staring out the window.

"Yes?" Sirius asked, paying James as much attention as he could while writing down a few notes.

"I think... I'm going to miss the written exam."

"What?" Sirius demanded with a small yelp. "James... Transfiguration is your subject, mate. You can't... aaah." he said softly. "I see. And I think... I might miss it to."

James grinned. "Cheers."

Sirius grinned back and added, "Though, Moony might not be too thrilled to have us miss our exams."

"Moony will definitely get over it." James grinned. "And perhaps, if we can get a few more people to skip, then maybe the examiners will change their minds about not staying an extra half day..."


	34. Chapter 34

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 34

"Come on, hurry up." James whispered as he, Sirius, and Peter headed to the Hospital Wing. "That's my foot!" he added in a hiss.

"Sorry."

The three leaned against the wall as Dumbledore left the Hospital Wing, speaking to one of their examiners. The two were talking in hushed tones, making sure no eavesdroppers, invisible or not, could hear them.

James inclined his head and the three of them ducked into the Hospital Wing very quickly, just getting inside the door before it shut.

Inside, they took off the Invisibility Cloak, not caring whether or not Madame Pomfrey saw them. What could she do about it anyway?

"Good morning, Remus!" James called cheerfully, sitting down at the foot of the bed.

Remus opened one eye and sighed before shutting it. "What are you three doing here? You should be -- "

"Ah, forget exams." Sirius said, hopping into one of the chairs by Remus's bed and leaning it back on two legs. "They aren't important. Not as important as this anyway."

"Go take your exams." Remus muttered, wincing slightly as he tried to sit up.

"You lay down." James demanded. "And no reason to have a fit over this. We're staying here, whether you want us to or not.

"Right." Peter agreed, sitting down in the other chair. Remus knew, even without looking, that Peter was just agreeing with James and probably did not care one way or the other. Not to mention he sounded nervous.

"Is there nothing I can say to make you take your tests?"

"Nope." James grinned. "Like it or not, we're stuck here with you. We tried to talk some other people into skipping as well, the more the merrier, you know, but that didn't go so well."

"Gen would." Remus muttered. He immediately regretted that, especially since James let out a loud whoop.

"What are you three doing in here?" Madame Pomfrey demanded, coming out of her office. "Shouldn't you be downstairs, taking your tests?"

"No..." James trailed off.

"Yes, you should!" she decided. Without another word, she left the wing, no doubt to tell Dumbledore.

"Go." Remus hissed, sitting up and staring at them. "Before you get in trouble. Get out of here."

James and Sirius had no plans to budge. Peter shot a nervous glance at the door before half-rising from his seat. Soundlessly, Sirius grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back into the chair.

Remus sighed and stared at James. "If I had money, I'd bet you'll be getting about seven Howlers once your parents find out."

James shrugged. He would just write a letter and try to explain it to them before they could send him a Howler. Or a dozen.

Remus was silent, then he sighed again and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"We don't want you to feel left out." James shrugged. "And you can't say you don't."

Remus did not answer. He did feel left out. And he did feel hurt. But he wasn't going to let them know. Besides, he really did not need to bother with exams. He could not get a job anyway.

He leaned back into the pillows and shut his eyes, wanting desperately to just go to sleep. But he knew it would be better to stay up and see what Dumbledore was going to say.

And they did not have to wait long. Soon, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Madame Pomfrey, and an elderly examiner, James thought his name was Gashard or something similar, joined them in the Hospital Wing.

McGonagally looked like she was going to start screaming at them, but Dumbledore beat her to it. "Explain yourselves." he told them calmly.

Sirius and Peter looked to James, who smiled sweetly at Dumbledore and the others.

"Well," he began, trying to find the right way to word what he had silently rehearsed in his head, "well, we didn't want our dear friend to be the only one to miss his exam. And I figured that if more than one person missed it, then staying behind an extra day would be reconsidered."

He knew he didn't really get his point across, but before he could say anything else, McGonagall opened her mouth.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing for the school's reputation? For Gryffindor's? Your own? I see no reason -- "

Dumbledore held up his hand to stop her. 

"I understand what you mean by this, but skipping out on an important exam is not the way of dealing with it." Dumbledore told them.

"I know, but -- "

Gashard was the next person to interrupt. He spoke in a wheezy, near silent tone, but the wing was so quiet, they heard him anyway.

"I can understand concern for your friend, but when it comes to a career, you need to focus on that moe than you need to worry about a few minor injuries."

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say. James and Sirius were on their feet, yelling.

"Minor injuries? It's not just the injuries -- "

"Put a career first? Do you have no friends?"

"You can't say we shouldn't worry -- "

"If you would just wait a day or so and let him make it up instead of being pompous gits -- "

"Enough!" McGonagall shouted. "Downstairs, all three of you."

James, Sirius, and Peter got to their feet reluctantly. They left the wing without further argument, but they did not go downstairs.

"If he's missing it, I am too." James muttered, pulling the Invisibility Cloak out of his robes. "You two can go take the bloody exam."

Sirius shook his head and Peter reluctantly ducked under the cloak with him. The three headed to the Common Room, to wait until they were sure it was safe to pop back into the Hospital Wing. Or for Remus to make his way upstairs.

James meant what he said. The Ministry, Dumbledore, and his parents could just get over it. Besides, they had a handful of exams left. It wasn't like one written exam would ruin things for them.

Though Remus probably would be a bit angry with them for a while. But they could work it out, no worries. And James still had to nag him about what he said about Gen.

The next few days looked to be pretty enjoyable.


	35. Chapter 35

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: Hmm, it is drawing to a close. Not too many chapters left. I do want to do a sequel of sorts. I'm not too sure what, though.

Chapter 35

"You know, ignoring us isn't going to change anything." James said before stuffing his mouth full of sprouts. He grinned at Sirius, who was sitting across the table from him. Remus was to his right and trying his best to act as though James, Sirius, and Peter had fallen off the face of the earth.

"What's done is done." Sirius agreed. "And we get to take a retake, though we'll probably not get the full scores we earn. But still, it's better than nothing."

"No it's not." Remus whispered. He did not want to talk, least of all in the Great Hall, with any chance of them being overheard.

"So you would have rather had nothing?"

"I would have rather you left it alone."

James rolled his eyes and smirked at Sirius. He then leaned over next to Remus and whispered, "Come off it, Moony. You're glad we did it. And besides, Gwennie doesn't like seeing you all upset."

Remus blushed and crammed a dinner roll in his mouth. If there was one more thing he did not want to talk about, it would be Gwendolyn Moore.

"You're going to sulk, aren't you?" James asked.

"He's going to sulk." Sirius nodded.

"There are other ways of getting you to talk, Moony. Even if you do choke." James pointed out.

Remus swallowed his bread with a bit of difficulty, then asked, "Why do you call her that? She hates it."

"To annoy her." James shrugged.

Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head. James did know how to push a girl's buttons. But he did not care about that. He was far more than annoyed with them.

And the fact that the girls seemed to want to join them did not really help him much.

"Hey," Lily smiled as she made herself at home, "can we ask you guys something?"

"Ask anyway." James grinned.

"Where were you this morning?" Gen asked as she and Marci settled down next to Remus and Celeste sat on James's other side.

"No where." Remus muttered before James or Sirius could chime in.

"No where?" Marci repeated skeptically. "McGonagall nearly had a fit and you were 'no where'?"

"That was kind of funny, actually." Celeste smiled. "You boys must have planned this?"

"Sort of..." James said, trailing off slowly. He managed a small wink in Remus's direction and asked, "But, then, if we had planned it, we would have been around to see McGonagall throw a tantrum."

"That's true." Lily did not seem to believe that. "Well, we just wanted to make sure you guys weren't falling back into bad habits. So, see you around."

James began to stammer in protest as the four girls got up and left. He frowned, and began to frown deeper when Remus started to laugh at him.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"You really need to work on your delivery, mate."

"Well at least I try to make it obvious I fancy a girl instead of completely ignoring her when she's sitting right next to me." James pointed out.

Remus shut up and glared at him. He then got to his feet and muttered something about needing to study some more.

"That was harsh." Sirius whispered as soon as Remus was out of earshot.

"Tough love." James objected. "He needs that girl more than she needs him."

Sirius said nothing. He was still not too thrilled with the whole Gen-liking-Remus-liking-Gen thing. And he was definitely not too happy to help push them together as James apparently wanted to do.

"Shall we study, then?"

"I don't need to." Sirius muttered, getting to his feet. "History of Magic, yeah, we can get by making up dates and things. Nothing too hard."

James shook his head but he and Peter followed Sirius's lead and got to their feet. The three headed upstairs, trying to avoid Peeves as he pelted random passersby with chalk.

"I'll tell you something," James said as the three of them started to "study" by stretched out close to the fire, "I am NOT looking forward to Runes."

"Then study."

James looked at Sirius as though he had sprouted wings or something. "Are you mad? Why study when I can be doing... other things?"

"Liiike?" Sirius asked, looking interested.

"Other things." James smiled.

Sirius frowned and said, "Well, dear Mummy won't be too happy with her Jamsie doesn't pass Runes like she wanted."

"I'm thinking of failing on purpose." James said, folding his arms behind his head.

"You might not fail on purpose." Sirius pointed out.

"Yeah, true." James suddenly glanced around the Common Room. "Where's Moony? I thought he said something about studying."

Peter glanced around as well. "Maybe he's upstairs?" he asked.

"Or in the library." Sirius shrugged.

James sighed softly and stretched out again. He wasn't too worried about exams or anything. But a nice nap sounded great to him.

He yawned loudly, and was quickly followed by Sirius and Peter.

"I agree." he told them. "Let's get to bed before we fall asleep in here and the House Elves mistake us for trash."

The three went upstairs and collapsed, having no idea exactly how tired they had been.


	36. Chapter 36

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 36

With just one exam left, the boys were very close to breathing a sigh of relief. Except James.

"Runes!" he groaned, slamming a heavy book entitled _Ancient Runes and You: A Simple Guide to Simple Runes_ on the table, making Peter jump.

"You really hate Runes, don't you?" Sirius asked casually as he glanced up from his own book.

"Loathe it." James grumbled. But he stuck his nose in his book anyway.

Sirius smiled softly and shook his head. He knew James was going to be more than thrilled to be done with the subject. But he still had a bit of a wait to do.

Though he knew James was most likely to ignore any work he was assigned in the class until the end of the year.

"The good thing, though," James said, looking up from his book, "is that Evans will be sitting through the exam with me."

"Still going to call her Evans when you're married?"

"What are you talking about?" James demanded, pretending to be engrossed in his book. "Marriage? Me?"

"Look, mate, when it comes to Evans, you'd do it." Sirius grinned. "And you know it. So don't try to lie about it."

James smiled softly and muttered, "You know, Sirius, there are some things you should definitely keep quiet. And that would be one of them."

"Come on," Sirius began, "tell me the truth: You and Evans, you're an item aren't you?" He leaned closer to James and smirked.

"I – ah -- " James stammered, opening and shutting his mouth like a fish gasping for air, then cleared his throat and managed to say, "That's up to her, actually."

"Well, then, I'll go ask her." James watched Sirius get to his feet and race over to the other side of the Common Room, where the four girls were relaxing near the fire. He let out a tiny groan, then hide behind his book, silently praying that Sirius would lose the ability to speak.

'Why did I open my mouth?" James whispered to his book. He knew the book couldn't answer, but it would have been, even though it would also would have been a bit creepy, if it could.

Sirius came back a few moments later, grinning. "She said it's up to you. Can't agree on anything, can you?"

"No." James said, his voice emotionless.

"Don't be grumpy, James." Sirius said, taking his book up once more. "I've got something to cheer you up. Moore said she'd be willing to take her broom out tomorrow afternoon and race you."

James said nothing to Sirius. Instead, he sat staring at the translation to several different runes, none of which he was really taking in.

After an hour, he found it fruitless to study and headed upstairs to bed, hoping that maybe he wouldn't do too badly on his exam.

Which also turned out to be fruitless.

"How do you think you did?" Lily asked as he left the Great Hall after the exam that morning.

"Badly." James said wearily. "You were... waiting for me?" he asked, stopping and staring at her as though he just realized who had spoken to him.

"Who else would I be waiting for?" she asked, shrugging. She then smiled and said, "You know, you shouldn't have Black be your errand boy."

"Excuse me?" James demanded as the two of them headed up to Gryffindor Tower. "I had no plans whatsoever to send him over there to talk to you. He did that on his own."

"Honestly?" she asked, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes! Since when have I been a coward?" James demanded. "Don't answer that."

Lily laughed, her eyes shining. "I didn't plan to." she murmured.

She decided to remain quiet unless he said something else. And he looked to be somewhat tongue-tied. Finally, though, she spoke again.

"I've come to realize something." she said, stopping in front of him. "And I would like to apologize. It seems you have matured a lot. And I'm glad."

Very quickly, she stood on her toes and brushed a light kiss to his cheek.

James stood there, staring at her, his hand resting on his cheek. "I... can't believe you did that. Do you have any idea how long I've wanted you to do that?" he finally asked.

"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to do that?" Lily admitted.

"Oh really?" James asked. Then he grinned. "So you do admit it, then?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'll admit it. And yet, I'll have to ask you not to tell the girls. They've been pushing me almost the entire year to speak to you about this."

"But they'll be happy." James threw his arm over her shoulder, glad she did not reject his gesture. Together, the two of them resumed slowly walking back to the Common Room. "Well, OK, maybe Gwen won't be too happy. But when is she?"

"You've been working on getting her together with Remus?" Lily asked, glancing up at him. He nodded. "So have we. She seems to think, though, that he doesn't want her. So maybe, if we all put our heads together, we can get them together, too. And I know she listens to you."

James nodded. "We can try."

Lily smiled again. "It would make me happy, you know."

"Anything to make you happy, then." James grinned.


	37. Chapter 37

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 37

"We've missed something, didn't we?" Sirius asked with a scowl. He inclined his head to the other side of the Common Room, where Lily and James were seated, their heads close together, the two of them whispering something that they obviously did not want overheard.

"I suppose so." Remus murmured. He yawned softly and added, "And you care?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

Sirius was silent for a moment, then he said, "Well, James is my best mate, isn't he? I should know these things!"

"So you're a failure as a best mate?"

The two of them turned around and glanced at Gen, who sank down in the empty chair at the table. She looked at Sirius from behind a strand of black hair, awaiting his answer.

"I never said that." Sirius muttered. "But if I am, then surely you are as well, aren't you?"

Gen shrugged. "To be honest, Lily and I don't seem to be as close as we've been. So I don't know."

Sirius faked a sympathetic look, one that she ignored. Instead, she turned her attention to Lily and James, who had been glancing in that direction. "They're up to something." she muttered.

"How do you know?" Remus asked her.

She shrugged again. "It just seems that way. Doesn't seem like sweet nothings to me."

Remus frowned, then shook his head. If she thought it was that, then most likely she was right as he, too, had caught them glancing their way once Gen had joined them.

"Well, if you two know what's going on, tell me in the morning. Right now, I could use some sleep. I am not looking forward to the match in the morning."

The two Marauders watched her head upstairs, followed closely by Lily. James got to his feet and headed over to them, looking slightly satisfied.

"What are you pleased about?" Sirius asked, realizing his tone was slightly snippy. He did not apologize.

"Nothing." James said, not taking notice to Sirius's tone. "What have you two been doing? And what did Gwennie-lyn want?"

"So now it's Gwennie-lyn?" Remus asked, his eyebrows raising slightly. "Where did that one come from?"

James shrugged and reached into his pocket, pulling out a Chocolate Frog. It hopped in his hand for a moment before he swiftly bit the head off.

"What were you and Evans talking about?" Sirius asked as James smiled contently and shoved the rest of the frog in his mouth.

"Oh that, well," James winked, "nothing important."

Sirius scowled, then watched as Remus got to his feet. Surely he wasn't going to go to bed then? He needed his help in trying to get James to talk.

"Going to skip the match tomorrow, Remus?" James asked, watching Remus pack his bag and hoist it over his shoulder.

"No reason to watch, is there?" Remus asked. "Gryffindor will win, we always do, don't we?"

"Yeah, well..." James trailed off. "Gwennie's been off her game a bit. I think she's been... distracted by... something."

Remus said nothing. He nodded his head slightly and hurried upstairs. James grinned despite himself. "Bit jumpy isn't he?"

"Why would he have reason to be?" Sirius demanded. "Unless... James you're planning something? With EVANS?" he added, sounding slightly disgusted.

"Maybe I am." James snapped. "But why does it matter I'm planning something with Lily instead of you for once?"

"Evans, mate." Sirius said. "Evans. What is she going to do? Hmm? I seriously doubt you're planning a prank or anything with her. So what am I being left out of?"

"Nothing major." James said. "So there's no reason to snap. And no reason to hex Evans in the morning if that's what you're planning."

Sirius said nothing to James. Instead, he got up, so fast he sent his chair crashing, and grabbed his things. He headed to the dorm, slamming the door behind him.

James sat there, feeling confused. What exactly just happened? Was Sirius jealous of Lily?

And why? What reason did he have?

With a tiny sigh, James got up and headed upstairs, too. He winced slightly at the sight of everyone's hangings shut, as if they were shutting themselves away from him.

He needed to rest for the match. But found himself unable to sleep until the wee hours of the morning, wondering if maybe he was making a mistake.


	38. Chapter 38

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: Short chapter, I know. I'm sorry. I've been working on this hunk of junk, so blame my computer.

Chapter 38

"They're going to cheat, aren't they?" Marci asked with a sigh as she, Lily, and Celeste settled down in the row behind Sirius, Remus, and Peter, who all turned to face them as she spoke.

"'Course." Sirius said. "It's Slytherin, isn't it?"

Marci said nothing. Her cheeks went slightly pink and she turned her head so she would not have to face him.

"I just hope we don't resort to cheating." Lily said with her own sigh. She did not look too happy to be there. But she was going to be there, anyway.

"Oh, do you really think we will?" Celeste asked sweetly. "Knowing Potter, if they cheat, he won't let them get away with it."

Lily scoffed. She wanted to argue that James had changed, but did not feel like making herself look foolish then and there. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the green-clad players who were walking onto the field.

The team captains shook hands, actually trying to break each other's fingers, and they were off. James managed a goal in the first few seconds. That sent the Gryffindor supporters into a frenzy.

"Good sign?" Peter asked anyone who'd answer.

"We'll have to see." was Sirius's reply.

Two more goals were scored. Gen ducked a Bludger then tossed the Quaffle to James, who caught it in the tips of his fingers. His attempt at a goal was blocked, calling for a loud groan from the Gryffindor supporters and a cheer from the Slytherins, which got louder as one of their Chasers, Monagon, scored.

"It's just one goal." Lily muttered.

"One goal can make a difference." Sirius told her.

Lily merely rolled her eyes and thought, 'People take this too serious. It's just a silly sport.'

Nearly ten minutes later, Gryffindor was starting to lose their lead. There was only twenty points between the teams. And James was getting visibly angry.

"Oh, don't let him cheat." Marci whispered. The six of them watched as he called a time out and the teams landed.

"Wonder what's going on." Peter said, trying to see over the heads of the people in front of them in attempt to see the team.

"Who knows?" Celeste asked. "I'm just in awe someone hasn't gotten hit yet."

Lily saw Sirius tense, but say nothing to Celeste. She was glad he kept his mouth shut. She did not feel like breaking up a fight between those two.

Down on the pitch, the team was trying to regroup. "You think we can win this?" Gen asked, retying her hair hopes of keeping it out of her face.

"Probably not, the way their playing." James muttered. "Hooch isn't even taking notice to the fact that they're cheating." he added, spitting out the words as though they tasted of bile.

He caught the looks the two Beaters exchanged. "I'm not quitting!" he added. "I just... I'm just mad, is all."

"So you called this to calm down?" Gen asked.

He did not respond.

The Keeper, Hali, leaned over next to Gen and whispered, "Do you really think he's going to play fair now?"

"Not at all." Gen whispered back, stooping a bit so she could hear Hali better. "I'll try," she added, "but I won't make promises. They hit me, and I'll hit back."

Hali grinned.

The two teams were up and flying again within moments. Hali managed to stop the Slytherins' attempts at scoring a few goals, but Gryffindor was being prevented a chance to score as well. James was getting a bit madder.

"Get it past them!" he called, tossing the Quaffle to Gen, who took a quick shot. She did make it past the Keeper, but the Quaffle bounced harmlessly off the side of the goal.

She let out an angry sigh and chased after the Chaser who had picked up her fumbled goal. The two ducked in and out of other players, but quickly stopped as the two Seekers raced past them.

It was over. The tiny little golden ball fluttered helplessly in the hands of the Gryffindor Seeker. The Slytherin Chaser holding the Quaffle threw it angrily as the Gryffindor supporters rushed the pitch.

"Nice." James grinned, all signs of annoyance gone. Until the Bludger that had not been caught was hit by the enraged Slytherin Beater. It hit him perfectly.

It seemed as though James would be celebrating his victory in the Hospital Wing.


	39. Chapter 39

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: Well, I didn't want to update anything today. Today started so good, then I got really, really upset. But I'm going to try to update this in hopes of cheering myself up.

Chapter 39

"Well, we won, at least." Gen said softly. She, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were in the hospital wing with James. Marci and Celeste ducked out a little later since Pomfrey was looking furious at the amount of people in the wing.

"We did," James said, sitting up and rubbing his head, "but did anyone do anything about that?"

Lily and Gen exchanged looks. "Well..." Lily began softly. She sat down on James's bed and said, "Well, no, not entirely."

"Great." James groaned, flopping back onto the bed, then immediately wincing.

"James, you won your silly little match. Cheer up. Please?" Lily asked.

"It's not a silly match." James sounded like an irritated three-year-old.

"Anyway, Gen's right. You won." Sirius chimed in. "And you can leave here soon. Victory party?" he suggested half-hopefully.

James nodded. "If there's not one going on already."

"Come on, Wormtail." Sirius clapped Peter on the shoulder and quickly lead him out of the Hospital Wing.

James saw Lily shake her head. "Your silly nicknames. What is the point to them?" 

James winked at Remus and said, "Oh, come on, Evans. You don't pick on Gwennie's nickname."

"Gen?" Lily asked. "I've called her that since I've known her. And Celeste and Marci used it longer. It kind of stuck to her, didn't it?" she asked Gen, who nodded. "Yours are... odd."

"Who gets 'Gen' from 'Gwendolyn?" James demanded. He waited for Remus to back him up. Remus fidgeted beside him in his chair and looked away from the girls.

"Marci." Gen said. "That's all she could get out when we were babies and it stuck."

James said nothing. He did not feel like getting involved in a conversation about the boys' nicknames just then. Especially not with the girls, who both seemed to be very curious.

So he attempted to turn the conversation back to Quidditch.

"Shame we didn't score more. We would have definitely had it in the bag then."

Gen shrugged and said, "Well, true. But we can't play anymore. Unless we go pro or something."

"I'd rather you didn't." Remus said softly. Even he looked surprised he spoke.

"Why not?" Gen asked as James began to grin. He looked as though he was tempted to tease Remus, but Gen shot him a glare and he stopped thinking any thought he had in mind.

"I would just rather you didn't." Remus muttered.

Gen was about to speak again, but Lily sighed and said, "Quidditch! No matter what, the talk always goes back to that!"

She got up and left the Hospital Wing. And was surprised to hear someone join her. She glanced back and looked warily at Gen, who managed a tiny smile.

"I will not speak of the sport again." Gen promised as she caught up with her. Then she smiled. "That's the only thing that bothers you about him now, isn't it?"

"What, that sport?" Lily asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, it does. I was hoping with it being over this year, and this being our last year, he would stop it. But has he?"

"No." Gen answered for her. "We'll have to get him to stop, huh?"

"Yeah."

The two of them slowed down. Lily wondered whether or not she should tell Gen what James was planning. Finally, she decided to.

"By the by, James and I... we've been up to something."

"I know." Gen said. "I saw you two with your heads together. I just couldn't figure out what you two were up to."

Lily giggled and said, "Oh, you can't guess? Not a tiny try?" When Gen shook her head, she said, "We've been wanting to get you and Remus together before the year was through with. And he thought if the two of us worked together, we might be able to pull it off."

"NOTHING will pull that off." Gen said bitterly.

"Are you kidding?" Lily asked with a wide grin. "Did you not hear him in the Hospital Wing? Did you not see how concerned he was about you?"

Gen shook her head. "No. Because he isn't. So can we drop this, too?"

Lily continued to grin and said, "By the time we're through decided what not to mention, we won't be speaking to each other will we?"

Gen cracked a smile herself. "Most likely not. So let's don't."

The two of them were quiet until they reached the Common Room. Both of them were hesitant. And The Fat Lady was growing impatient with them.

Finally, Lily timidly whispered the password and the two girls peeked inside the room.

Sirius and Peter had not gotten back yet. With a quick look at each other, the two agreed to race upstairs and stay out of the Common Room until any sign of a Sirius Black party was over with, as upstairs was the only safe place to be.


	40. Chapter 40

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: I need ideas for a new chapter fic to do. Two of mine have died on me, so I just have this one and James Potter, Nature Expert going.

Chapter 40

"Why did we let this happen?"

Gen stared at Sirius, her nose wrinkled in disgust. Lily and James had settled down together, away from everyone else. Therefore, Sirius had started to cling to her during their classes. Especially History of Magic, the class they were in then.

"It is just something we're going to have to get used to." she said softly. She then added, "Just because my best friend is dating your best friend does not make us bosom buddies. Now go away. Bother Remus or someone."

Sirius continued to stay where he was. He was not going to let Gen push him away. Besides, she seemed lonely and he felt it his duty to try to cheer her up.

Which she did not want, but Sirius was oblivious to that fact.

She sighed softly and went back to doodling on her parchment. She really should have been taking notes. Lily was either not taking notes, the most likely, or she was taking them half-heartedly. Neither was use to Gen.

But then she realized that she did not care about the class and went back to doodling, trying her best to ignore Sirius, who wanted someone's attention, mainly hers.

She was extremely glad the class was over. As she packed her things, she was aware of Sirius waiting for her.

"Black, I've told you, this does not make us best mates. And it surely does not make us a couple. Now leave me be."

"I just wanted to walk you to lunch." Sirius said innocently.

"I'm not going to lunch." Gen said in a sweet, yet annoyed, tone. "I need to go to the library. So go on and eat."

"You need to eat too." Sirius argued.

"Library." Gen said firmly. She hoisted her back over her shoulder and left the room, muttering to herself.

Once she was safely away from the classroom, she slowed her pace a bit. She did need to go to the library, but she hated to admit it, really, really hated to admit it, but Sirius was right. She did need to eat.

"I'll get something later." she told herself. Then, in the middle of the hall, she stopped. "No, I won't." With James engrossed with Lily, she doubted she could get James to go to Hogsmeade for her to get something sweet. Much less a trip to the kitchens.

She sighed and resumed her walk to the library, though her pace was much more slower. When she finally got inside, she headed straight to the Divination shelves, where she bumped right into Remus.

"Sorry." she said softly.

"Don't be." he said, bending to pick up the book he dropped. "Skipping lunch too?"

"I shouldn't," she said, "but yeah. I needed to finish our Divination assignment."

"Same." Remus smiled. "I kept putting it off."

"Not smart." she smiled. "But it's what I did, too."

Remus managed a small smile himself, then said, "Well, let's work on it together, then. Maybe we can get to lunch in time for a small bite of dessert."

Gen nodded and the two settled down at the nearby table. As Remus thumbed through the book, she rested her chin in her hand, her eyes half shut. "Hey," she said suddenly, "do me a favor."

"What?" Remus asked, glancing up, a strand of hair falling in his face.

"Get Sirius to leave me be?" she asked. "He follows me around like a puppy now that Potter and Evans are together."

Remus smiled to himself. "I'll see what I can do. I won't make promises, though."

She nodded absently and reached for the book. The two spent a quarter of an hour looking through meanings of dreams and thoughts and ideas and getting nowhere. So Gen decided she would make something up. Remus agreed wholeheartedly.

"Let's just make sure we have the same answers." she smiled.

The two of them scribbled away and raced down to the Great Hall just in time for a quick bite.

James grinned at the sight of the two of them. "Getting cozy in the library?" he asked innocently. Remus ignored him. Gen chose to glare for a moment, then turn back to her lunch.

James sighed softly and asked, "What's your next class?"

"Divination." Gen said. "Then a free period."

"Same." Remus said softly.

James grinned and nodded. He thought he had a free period. And if he didn't, well, he'd skip his class for once. He had some talking to do. And he planned on doing it during Gen and Remus's free period.


	41. Chapter 41

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 41

James waited for a little while before heading upstairs to the Common Room. As he padded along the corridor, he silently hoped that Gen and Remus would be in the Common Room.

He glanced around the corner and hurried to the portrait of The Fat Lady and muttered, "Pixie dust", having just remembered that the password had been changed the night before. He scrambled inside and grinned at the sight of Gen sprawled out in her chair and Remus curled up in his own chair. Neither of them were speaking, but they were in the Common Room.

"James?" he heard Gen ask. He glanced at her. She had opened one eye and was staring at him.

"Hey, you two." James began. He settled down in the chair between their chairs.

Remus glanced at him, knowing that something was up. He wasn't sure what, but he did not want to stick around and find out.

"I've just remembered... I've got... something... I need to get upstairs and -- " Remus stammered. He got to his feet and started to head to the dorms.

"No, you are staying right here. None of us are going anywhere until we get this settled."

Remus sank back in his chair. He exchanged a look with Gen, who shrugged.

"What do you want?" Gen asked, trying not to sound somewhat interested. "And why be here instead of classes?"

"Classes aren't so important." James shrugged. "Now, let's see here..." he trailed off. He wasn't quite sure what there was to say, so he blurted, "OK, you like you," he began, point from Remus to Gen. Remus blushed deeply and looked.

"And you," James said, still pointing at Gen, but then he pointed at Remus, "like you. So what's the big deal here?" he demanded.

Gen looked livid. Remus looked ready to bolt. "You know what the deal is." he whispered. "Leave it alone, James."

"Nonsense!" James grinned. "I'm going to have you two snogging in the corner whether you like it or not."

"James, stop." Gen sounded a bit mad. "It's not going to happen. So just stop it."

He turned to her. She was mad. But also trying not to smile. "Why should I?"

"Because you're upsetting one of your best friends, James." she said softly. "Don't push him. It's fine. I don't care that he fancies me and won't act on it."

But she did care.

"It's not you, Gwendolyn, really." Remus began softly.

She shrugged, trying to play it off as her not caring. "You don't want to be with me, it's OK." she insisted.

"But I do."

James and Gen both stared at Remus. He nodded and said again, "I do want to be with you. But there's too much that can go wrong."

"Do you think I care?" Gen asked.

Remus glanced at James and said, "Knowing you Gwendolyn, no, you probably wouldn't, but I would hold you back. You've got -- "

"Not enough talent to go anywhere, I'm afraid." Gen smiled. "Besides Quidditch." she added casually. "So come on, give me a chance?" she asked timidly.

Remus again glanced to James, this time for help, but then he nodded. "Sure."

"Lovely!" James clapped his hands together and caught a glimpse at his watch. "And it's time to eat. So let's get going, I'm starved!"

The three of them headed down to the Great Hall, bumping into Celeste and Lily on the way down. Sirius, Marci, and Peter were already seated and stuffing their faces. James slid onto the bench beside Sirius and helped himself, looking pleased.

"What are you happy about?" Peter asked.

"I," James said, digging into his dinner, "am an expert matchmaker."

It was a bit hard to understand with his mouth full, but everyone else made it out. "Why do you think that?" Sirius demanded. 

James pointed his fork at Gen and Remus. She was smiling softly at him as he whispered something to her, their fingers entwined.

"How did you do it?" Lily asked, looking awed.

"Actually," James began, "they sort of did it themselves. I just started it."

"Well, at least you did it!" Lily pulled him down so she could brush a kiss to his cheek.

"Aww." James began, the palest of blushes appearing on his cheeks. "It's just a lovefest today, isn't it?" he asked Sirius, who shrugged.

"Frankly, you need to work your expert matchmaker skills on me, I think, for it to be a real lovefest."

"You next then." James said.

"No, Sirius is not the type to stay with one girl, are you?" Celeste asked.

"No," Sirius grinned, "and I like it that way."

The three girls rolled their eyes. Sirius Black was Sirius Black, no changing that.


	42. Chapter 42

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 42

"So," James began, leaning back in his chair and staring at Remus, who was staring into his own book, though not reading it at all.

"So?" Remus asked, finding it a decent enough excuse to slam his book shut and shove it aside. "So what?"

"So! The year's nearly over, it's our year," James added with a fake sniffle, "and I've got my Lily, you've got your Gwennie-lyn -- " he smiled himself as the corner's of Remus's mouth lifted in a small smile, " -- have you done everything you've wanted to this year?"

"Most of it." Remus frowned slightly as he shoved his book back in his bag.

"Most?"

Remus smiled despite himself. "Why all the one word sentences?"

"I'm being lazy." James grinned as Remus shook his head. "What? We all know James Potter is lazy!"

Remus muttered something which caused James to burst out laughing.

"Anyway," James said, still smiling, "what is it that you haven't done that you've wanted to?"

Remus thought for a moment. Surely James wouldn't mind if he told him. But then, he did not want James to act all sympathetic towards him.

"I haven't asked anyone for a place to stay." Remus admitted finally. He then started to sling his bag over his shoulders and hurry upstairs, but James stopped him.

"I can make sure you do. And I'm sure Gwen -- "

"No." Remus shook his head. "I'm not staying with her James."

He looked slightly scared, and James was started to feel rotten for asking him what he hadn't done. But he also knew that Gwen would not mind at all, werewolf or not, if Remus needed to stay with her.

"Come on." James prodded gently, silently praying to the gods of misfortune that this would not blow up in his face. "Come on, you've made her happy. What can make her happier than you living with her, under the same roof."

"A furry little mishap."

"Moony," James sighed, "just explain it to her. I'm sure she, as she said herself, won't care. You need to talk to her. And I'll bet you anything you'll find a place to stay while you're at it."

"And what are you going to do?" Remus asked, sounding a bit bitter. He quickly managed an apologetic smile as he placed his bag on the table. "House hunting with Lily?"

"Sounds like a plan." James smiled.

Remus smiled softly and shook his head again. "Well, you have fun."

He grabbed his bag again, and James, again, was tempted to stop him. But he was distracted by Sirius, who looked sour as he dropped his own bag on the table.

"What's happened to you?" Remus asked, giving the stairs a longing glance as he spoke.

"Nothing." Sirius muttered. He reached into his bag and pulled out a Chocolate Frog. Forgetting the card, he bit it in two. "Well, no," he began with his mouth full. "No, how do you get Gwennie and I don't?"

Remus shrugged. He wasn't sure on that one himself. Though he did know Gen rather disliked Sirius. But he felt it wasn't his place to answer for her. After all, he WAS new to the relationship scene.

Almost absently, he glanced around the Common Room and spotted Gen at a table with Marci. The two had their heads together and were discussing something.

He smiled softly, then turned his attention back to James and Sirius. James nodded at whatever Sirius had muttered. 

"I'm going to bed." Remus announced to them, once again taking his bag and making a break for the stairs. This time, he made it.

Tossing his bag on his bed, he quickly changed into his bed clothes. He wasn't so tired, but he did wish to have some time to himself. To think.

But once he curled up in the bed, he was asleep within moments. Haunted by dreams of Gwen, of James. Of something happening to her and James blaming him.

The sound of the door slamming jarred him from his sleep. He mumbled something sleepily and heard Sirius apologizing.

Determined not to sleep, Remus curled up on his side, thinking of exactly what he was going to say to Gwendolyn. It was not something he could keep from her forever.


	43. Chapter 43

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 43

The group of eight strolled along the grounds on the last Hogsmeade visit of the year. James and Lily led the pack, while Sirius, Marci, Celeste, and Peter clustered together in the middle. Gen and Remus brought up the rear.

"Why talk me into coming?" Gen's voice carried to the rest of the group.

"Because!" James laughed. "This is the last time we're allowed to come at a certain day."

"And?" Gen asked, trying not to smile. "We can come at our leisure after we get out of school."

Whatever James said, she could not hear. She shook her head, then felt Remus give her hand a squeeze.

"Are we staying together as a group or...?" Lily asked, trailing off as the eight tried to stay together among the pushing crowd in the village.

"We can leave and meet up somewhere later?" Sirius suggested. "Or we can stick together. Though it might be hard in..." he trailed off, gesturing to crowd of people, most of which were rushing towards Honeyduke's.

"Right." James agreed. "We'll split up and meet at The Three Broomsticks for lunch, then?"

The others seemed to agree. Lily and James watched as Gen and Remus tried to fight their way towards Honeyduke's and as Sirius and his little group bushed on further.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked her.

"I'd like to just walk a bit, actually." Lily admitted, brushing a strand of hair aside in vain. The slight breeze just pushed it back in place. She smiled faintly and gave up.

James shrugged. He was fine with that.

The two walked silently, pushing their way through the crowd. Once the street became less croweded, Lily slipped her hand in his.

"You know what?" she asked, leaning her head against his arm. "This has actually been a pretty decent year."

"Oh?" James asked with a smile.

"Oh, yes. You've been, well, quite mature this year. And everything seems to have gone along smoothly, hmm?" she asked. She hadn't expected him to answer that.

"Hmm."

"Hmm?" Lily asked, leaning back so she could get a better look at him. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." James said, adding in a convincing smile. "Nothing, I'm just thinking, that's all?"

"About?" Lily prodded. 

"About you." he admitted. 'About asking you something that's been on my mind since talking to Remus.' he added silently, hoping that Lily did not possess the power of mind reading.

If she did, she did not let on.

"About me, huh?" she asked, trying not to smile. "Well, what about me? Something horrible, I'm sure." she added with a sigh, doing her best to keep her grin off her face.

"Oh it's terrible," James agreed, "awful." Then he stopped and stared at her, deciding to ask and just get it over with. "How surprised would you be if I asked you to live with me?"

"Very." Lily said, her green eyes widening. She cleared her throat nervously and fidgeted on the spot. "James," she began, "it's a lovely offer, but I want to try to do things for myself first. It's not you," she added, "it's more of a trying to prove to myself I can do this thing."

She did not sound too sure.

"Right, right." James muttered. He glanced around for some sort of distraction, feeling a bit bitter. "There's Sirius, Celeste, and Marci." he muttered. "Wonder where Peter is?"

Without waiting for Lily, he dashed across the street. But she was straight on his heels.

"Where's Peter?" James asked casually. He exchanged a quick look with Sirius as Lily joined the other girls.

"Who knows?" Sirius shrugged. "Probably still in Honeyduke's, where we left him."

"That's mean." Lily said a bit sternly.

"It's not my fault he can't keep up!" Sirius argued. He glanced around to change the subject. "Anyone seen Remus and Gen since they left?"

Everyone shook their head. "Should we split up again or...?"

"Let's stick together." Lily muttered. "Once we find them I'm heading back to the castle." she added, crossing her arms over her chest.

Gen seemed to be thinking the same thing she was. Remus had been quiet the whole time. No matter what she said. With a small sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest. "What wonderful company you are." she muttered.

Remus frowned but said nothing. He wasn't too sure what to say.

" -- live with me." he heard her finish. What had she been saying?

He heard her scoff. "You haven't even been listening to me!" she shouted, tears springing into her pale blue eyes.

"I'm sorry." Remus muttered. "I'm just preoccupied."

She scoffed again. "Let's just find everyone and go."

"I'm sorry." Remus said again.

"You aren't." she sighed, bit her lip, and set off in the direction of the school. He followed behind, nearly losing her in the crowd. What had he done?

He wasn't too sure, but he did bump into James and the rest, besides Lily, who broke away from the group and headed after Gen, back to the school.

"You look about as bad as I feel." Remus muttered to James.

"Bad day." James shrugged. But at least he had someone to sympathize with him. Maybe he and Remus could work things out with the girls before the end of the year, which was drawing closer and closer.


	44. Chapter 44

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 44

The four girls were sitting on the grounds near the lake. They were discussing, of all things, the possible grades they had received for their N.E.W.T.S.

"Straight T's," Gen said with a smile. "I'll bet you anything."

"If you're lucky, there might be a D in there." Celeste smirked.

"Ha, ha." Gen said sarcastically. "Just because the lot of you are going to get O's out of your ears, doesn't mean that you get the right to rub it in my face."

"Who said anything about rubbing?" Celeste asked. "I might just leave my results where you can see them. No rubbing involved."

Gen rolled her eyes. "I'll be expecting that, then." she said. Absently, she twirled a finger around her long black hair.

The next thing she knew, Lily had tugged her hair from the loose ponytail and Marci had pulled out a brush and began brushing it.

Gen sighed. "If I let you mess with it now, will you leave it be?"

"Yes," Marci muttered.

Celeste giggled. "Look at us, acting like preteens and having a fit to mess with your hair."

"I guess we aren't in such a hurry to grow up." Marci giggled. Thoughtfully, she paused. "You know, I don't think I am. We've got to do something. Something childish and preteen, or even younger."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, leaning against Celeste.

"Something immature." Marci said with a small smile as she began to braid Gen's hair.

"Something like they would do?" Celeste asked, catching sight of the Marauders heading towards the Quidditch Pitch. No doubt Sirius and James planned to race each other. Or do something against the rules that needed the use of brooms.

"Exactly!" Marci giggled.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Count me out."

"And you were the one saying we needed to prank them." Gen said with a smirk. "Why the sudden change of attitude?"

"Because, even though it's our last year and it's nearly over -- "

"Exactly!" Marci said again. "Even if we do get in trouble, it's not like it'll matter."

Lily still looked skeptical. She tried to act like she was paying mind to Marci as she braided Gen's hair, but she really wasn't.

Maybe they were right. The girls could use their last hurrah. Their last/first/only hurrah.

But she still wasn't quite as willing as the other girls to get in trouble. Maybe if they did it on the last day at school, whatever it was? Would they get in trouble then?

Most likely.

She sighed. No matter what way she looked at it, it did not seem to be such a brilliant idea.

She glanced towards the others. They might tease her if she did not go along with it. Not that she wasn't used to it. All of them teased each other every once and a while; it was all in good fun.

As she turned back to the conversation, she was glad to notice that they had dropped the subject. So far.

"By the way, Gwen, fight with Remus here lately?" Celeste asked sweetly. She had taken the brush from Marci and began brushing her own brown locks. "You two haven't been so... cuddly cute... since Hogsmeade."

Gen shrugged. "So what if we have?" she asked. "It's not your business, is it?"

"Come to think of it, both you and Lily have been a bit off." Marci said, finally finishing the long braid. She tied it in place and smiled happily.

"Have we now?" Lily asked. "I don't think I have but I agree with you about Gwennie."

Gen shrugged again. "It's nothing. I just kept trying to make conversation with him. It was like I wasn't even there."

"And Potter asked me to move in with him."

That little announcement was met with giggles by the other three girls. Lily did not see why it was so funny, but did not ask.

"I want to do things on my own for a bit." she added. "You guys understand... right?"

"Oh yes." Gen smiled. "Miss Independent all the way!"

"Actually, I kind of thought it would be nice, all four of us sharing a place." Marci said softly. "Like we've been doing."

"That's just it," Celeste began, "we've been doing it. We could use some peace and quiet and freedom to do as we choose. But if all else fails, we'll beg Dumbledore to let us use our dorm again. Kick the little firsties out."

The others smiled at the thought. "You know he wouldn't, though." Marci said, still smiling.

"Why not?" Celeste asked. "With all we can contribute to this school!"

"I'd rather you not contribute anything to the school." Gen said, getting to her feet. "But I would like to contribute myself to my mattress for a nice nap."

She grabbed her things and headed off to the castle with the other girls quickly following her.

Lily dragged behind, but not by enough to make the other girls wait for her. Hopefully the girls would stay like this and keep any immature thoughts out of their heads. But she knew that would be a long shot.


	45. Chapter 45

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 45

Gen sighed contentedly as she and the other girls sat down at the Gryffindor table. It was a Saturday, very beautiful outside. And best of all, no homework!

She immediately dug into her lunch, listening to snatches of the conversation around her, and tying to ignore Remus and the other boys, who were only a few seats away from her, with James holding court.

She heard Celeste sigh and immediately inclined her head to listen better.

"I got an owl from my dad this morning. You'd think he'd be THRILLED his daughter turned out magic, right?" Celeste asked.

"He's jealous." Marci giggled into her pudding. "But really, is he showing up for graduation?"

"Highly unlikely." Celeste snorted. "I doubt he'd want to step foot on Hogswarts ground. It's not MY fault he's a Squib."

Gen shook her head slightly. For years the debate had been what exactly Celeste was. Her mother was a Muggle, father was a Squib. Even the Slytherins seemed unsure.

Celeste shook her head and added, "He gives my spell books such dirty looks you'd think they'd killed his mother or something. My poor little books. It's not their fault he's magically-challenged."

"Introduce him to Filch." Gen said suddenly.

"What?" Celeste asked. She did not think that Gen was listening to their conversation.

"Introduce him to Filch." Gen repeated, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. "They'll be the best of friends in no time."

Celeste shuddered. "No thank you. Living in a large castle with Filch is enough. Having him visit my house? Ugh!"

"It won't be your house for long." Lily pointed out. "That is, if your parents boot you out and they aren't willing to help you look for a place to stay. Or let you stay there while you're looking."

"I'll live with you." Celeste laughed.

"And if I say no?" Lily demanded, trying to suppress her smile.

"I'm sure James wouldn't." Celeste said sweetly. "Maybe I should talk to him... see if he'll have any room when he moves out."

She was satisfied with Lily's blush. But Lily quickly jumped in and said, "Gwennie's looking for a roommate, ask her."

Celeste and Gen stared at each other. It was knowledge that those two were not each other's favorite person. There was no way the two of them could survive being each other's only roommate.

"Gwennie wants Remus." Celeste said in her sweet tone. "And I'm nowhere near Remus, so we'll leave her be."

"Thank you." Gen muttered dryly, jabbing her fork at her own pudding.

"You're welcome." came Celeste's bright and cheerful reply.

Gen continued to jab at her pudding as the other girls carried on their conversation. She was not feeling as cheerful as when they had begun lunch.

It was mostly due to the talk of Remus. She shook her head, glad to have pulled her hair back. She was sure the two first years beside her did not want long black hair in their food.

She got to her feet and muttered an excuse to the other girls, who brushed her off. She headed out of the hall in a hurry, but slowed her pace once she was in the corridors.

She crossed her arms over her chest as she heard someone behind her. But she stopped and waited for James to catch up.

"What?" she demanded before he could even say anything to her.

"Can you do me a favor?"

Gen turned to stare at him. He did seem sincere. "As long as it does not involved embarrassing myself, dismemberment, or your dear friend Remus Lupin."

James stared at her for a moment before saying, "No... it's your dear friend Lily Evans I wanted to ask you about. Talk some sense into her for me?"

"Why?" Gen asked skeptically. "She's got enough sense, thank you."

"I just really want her to move in with me Gen." James murmured. "It really means a lot to me. And I know you're the person to convince her to."

Gen sighed heavily. She did not want to talk to Lily about this, especially when she was having her own roommate troubles. Or lack of troubles.

"Fine." she said. "I don't want to. But fine. I will."

"Thanks."

"I'm sure." Gen muttered dryly.

James cocked his head and stared at her, but he let her go to the Common Room in peace. Once there, she did not stay to chat. Instead, she headed upstairs to the girls' dorm, where she waited for Lily so she could talk to her for James.

Which did not take too long. Lily joined her upstairs a few minutes later.

"What are you doing?" Gen asked from her bed.

"I came up here for something." Lily said, shocked. "Why?"

"Because I have to talk to you. For James." she said.

Lily scoffed. "Let me guess: he wants you to convince me to move in with him, right?"

Gen nodded. "He wanted me to talk some sense into you." she said with a smile. "I told him you had enough sense to start with. But just so I can say I did talk, will you at least consider it?"

Lily sank down on her bed. "I have considered it." she murmured. She twirled a strand of red hair between her fingers and said, "Well, I really have. But I want to try things on my own. Even if it is a very tempting offer. You understand, right?"

"No." Gen smiled. "I want a roommate. But I am not getting one. I'm more on James's side here. I guess that's why he wanted us to talk."

"I'll tell you what," Lily smiled, "and take this back to him, if I can't make it on my own, I will crawl to his house on bended knee and beg him to let me move in with him."

The two girls giggled. "I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that."

"I just hope he doesn't get his hopes up." Lily sighed.


	46. Chapter 46

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 46

"And that's all she said?" James demanded. He stared at Gen disbelievingly. He figured she was holding something from him. She LOOKED innocent, twirling a strand of black hair around her finger.

But knowing Gen, she was toying with him.

The two of them were in the library and James had just demanded to know what Lily said. Gen was leaning back in her chair, in a very Sirius-like manner, and looking sweet and innocent.

"That's it." Gen said. "I'm being honest, James. That's what she told me."

James sighed. It was not the answer he was hoping for. He did not want to hear that Lily was "considering" it. He wanted her moving in with him, then and there.

"Aw, poor James." Gen murmured. She then giggled. "Trust me, I know how you feel. I can't get my own roomie."

James patted her shoulder sympathetically. Then the two burst into fits of laughter. "We're so pathetic." James told her.

"Tell me about." Gen said, rolling her eyes. "What's the chance Lily and Remus wind up moving in together?"

"Honestly?" James asked her. "A whole lot more than the chances of them moving in with us."

"True." Gen sighed. Before Madame Pince decided to swoop down upon then and yell at them for making such noise, the two gathered their things and hurried out of the library.

"Hang on," James told her, "let's go get something to eat."

Gen shrugged. She might as well. Silently, she followed him to the kitchens, where she scowled at the sight of several House Elves.

"Aw, mad because they're smaller than you?" James teased. He handed her some sweets and she sniffed.

"I'm not big on... House Elves." she muttered, biting into a small cake.

"Making a pun?" James asked.

Gen shook her head. On the way up to Gryffindor Tower, she was quiet, answering his questions with a shake of her head or a nod. Before they reached the portrait hole, James asked, "Do you want me to talk to Moony for you?"

"No," Gen said, crumbling the last of her cake between her long fingers, "it's pointless."

"Don't be so sad, Gwen. He'll come around."

Gen shook her head. She also shrugged off James's offer of help as she scrambled into the portrait hole. Immediately, she left his side and headed over to the girls.

He sighed and headed over to Sirius and Peter. The two were busy with a game of Exploding Snap. James decided to settle down a safe distance away and watch.

Just as Remus joined the little group, the cards exploded in Peter's face.

"They know better than to explode on me." Sirius said, allowing Peter to pick up the cards. He leaned back in his chair and turned to James. "What's on your mind?"

James repeated most of his conversation with Gen. He left a little bit out, but sent a few obvious glares in Remus's direction.

Sirius did not seem to notice. "Ah, well, at least there's a chance Evans will move in with you." He glanced across the room. "Poor Gwennie. She wants a roommate badly, doesn't she?"

"She sure does." James said, staring at Remus, who tried to ignore him.

"Wonder if she'd let me move in with her?" Sirius asked, leaning back and staring at the ceiling thoughtfully. "No," he decided, "I'm not her type."

"Can we drop this please?" Remus asked, not glancing up from the roll of parchment he was reading. Or, rather, he was pretending to read.

"No, I don't think we can. I think you're being unfair, Moony. Gwennie wants you to stay with her. And you need somewhere to stay. Now what's the problem?"

"You know the problem, James."

James shook his head "She'd accept you. Come on, we all know, even Sirius who hates the thought, that Gwennie really seems to care about you. Why not tell her? If you want to wait until we're out of school, that's fine. But you need somewhere to go."

An idea formed in James's head. "And we won't let you stay with us." he added. "You're going to have to give in and go with Gwen."

Remus stared at James, then looked away. "No, I won't. My parents -- "

Without a word, James pulled a roll of parchment and a quill out of his bag. "I've got them covered, too."

Remus sighed in a defeated manner. "Fine. I'll talk to her. Happy?"

"Happier than I've been, yes." James smiled. Now if only he could get Lily to move in with him. He'd be set.


	47. Chapter 47

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: Kind of short, but it's getting to the end. And I kind of left me a cliffy!

Chapter 47

"Kind of sad, huh?" Lily asked. She and James were standing around with the rest of the seventh years. They were all crowded in the Great Hall, listening to McGonagall lecture them about how they were to behave for graduation.

He nodded.

"Hey," she said again, gently nudging him in the ribs, "look."

He glanced over to their right, where Gen and Remus were. Gen had her head resting on his shoulder, their fingers entwined.

"They made up?" James asked, taking the hint from Gen and Remus and taking Lily's hand.

"Sure looks that way." she smiled.

"Well, I'm glad." James said softly. Lily nodded. "After all, it's quite clear to me that those two are perfect together."

"You're not the only one that sees that." Lily murmured. She rested her head against his arm and tried to turn her attention to McGonagall.

That turned out to be not as hard as Lily thought. She had somehow trapped Peter into being her example.

Not the best of ideas as he managed to get tangled up in his robes. Even McGonagall cracked a small smiled.

"I think she's going to miss us." Sirius joined Lily and James as the students filed out of the hall a few minutes later.

"Me, maybe." James said. "You, maybe not."

The two of them started to laugh as Lily scowled. "Excuse me." She brushed past them and hurried up to Gen and Remus.

Gen looked pretty pleased to have Remus nearby. And she could say the same for Remus about Gen. Lily's scowl changed to a smile at this.

"So you two aren't so mad with each other anymore?"

"Not at all." Gen said. "He's going to move in with me, so why be mad?"

Gen might have missed it, but Lily spotted the worry on Remus's face. 'He doesn't want to.' she thought. 'He's... scared? Of what?'

She was curious about this, but decided to hold back her questions that were coming to mind. At least until Gen was out of earshot.

"Well, that's wonderful!" Lily said, doing a good job of hiding her newly developed concern. "I know you're happy to have a roommate, aren't you, Gwen?"

"Very." Gen murmured. "Especially this one."

Just then, James and Sirius joined them. "Thanks for leaving us, Evans." Sirius said as James threw his arm over her shoulder. He, at least, did not mind her running off to talk to Gen.

"You're welcome." Lily said sweetly. After all, she did excuse herself. Sirius had no reason to be mad. Or feign being angry with her. "Come on, Gwen, let's leave the boys to be boys, hmm?"

She and Gen headed to the Common Room, but decided to duck into a girls' loo to talk a bit. 

"So," Lily demanded, "when did this happen?"

"Well," Gen began, pulling a brush out of her bag and brushing her long black hair, "he came up to me this morning before breakfast looking so sweet and sheepish and said he'd be willing to move in with me. It was rather cute."

Lily just nodded. She was unable to burst Gen's good mood. They seemed to be so rare and ruining one would not be the best of ideas.

"And I've been thinking," Lily admitted, stepping forward to examine her reflection, "that maybe moving in with James may be for the best."

Gen giggled. "And that would be wonderful for you, wouldn't it?"

Lily nodded. "You know, I would have never thought of myself saying this. Never. But it just feels right, you know? I think I've grown used to living with more than just myself. I don't know if I could do it."

"I know what you mean." Gen sighed.

The two of them left the loo, in no hurry to get to the Common Room. Both were dwelling on their conversation. It had meant a lot to both of them, but why they were unsure.

Ah, well. At least things seemed to be looking up for the girls.


	48. Chapter 48

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 48

Seven of the eight were settled in the Common Room. Sirius was settled comfortably between Gen and Celeste, as James, Remus, Marci, and Peter sat at a nearby table. They were openly wondering how the graduation would go.

"Well, if we wait a few days, we'll know." Gen pointed out.

"Well, that's true," Sirius said, throwing his arm over the back of the couch and ignoring the disgusted look she shot him, "but what's the fun in that? We're just guessing."

"I suppose it'll be out on the grounds." Marci murmured, toying with a quill. She flipped it over in her fingers and stared out the windows.

"Why do you say that?" Peter asked.

"Well, the Great Hall is big enough, I suppose. But the grounds have much more room and who knows how many friends and family members of the Seventh Years will show up?"

James nodded. He knew his parents would. He wasn't sure about the rest of his family. He highly doubted Sirius's or Gen's parents would show. Marci said her mother would be there. Peter's parents, if they could, were going to show. Remus's had already promised to be there. Celeste wasn't sure about her parents.

And that was just for them! And who knew which family friends would show up?

And what about Lily's parents?

Speaking of... "Where IS Lily?" James asked the group.

Everyone looked at each other, then around, then back to James. "No idea." Gen said with a shrug. "I THINK she said something about the library, but I wouldn't swear to it."

"She was out of the dorm when I got up." Marci offered.

"Huh." James stared at the table, wondering where exactly Lily would go on her own. Especially when the only thing to be done was to just sit around and talk.

"We'll go look, if you want." Marci said, getting to her feet.

But as she, Gen, and Celeste neared the portrait hole, Lily burst through. She did not look up. She merely tried to push Gen aside, muttering "Excuse me."

:"Lily?" Gen asked, reaching out to stop her "What is it?"

Lily glanced up at the taller girl, then quickly looked away. But Gen noted that her eyes were red, as if she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" Gen demanded.

"Gwen, just move, please?"

By the time Lily managed to get that out, the four boys had joined them. "Lily?" James asked. "What's happened?"

Lily could see she could not sneak past them all. She bounded over to James and clung tightly to him, her face pressed against his chest.

"Lily?" James asked softly, smoothing her hair.

"It's my parents, James." she said, her voice muffled against his chest. "They're... they're..."

Lily did not need to complete her sentence. The other three girls hung their heads. Mr. And Mrs. Evans had been wonderful to all of them. It just wasn't fair!

Together, the three of them moved forward, each of them hanging on to Lily, too.

"We'll take her upstairs." Gen muttered to James. Gingerly, she and the other girls headed upstairs to let Lily have a cry in peace.

"It's not fair." James muttered once the four girls were gone.

"It's not." Sirius agreed. He was scowling, his arms crossed over his chest. "But what can we do?" he added.

Nothing, James realize. There was nothing that could be done now. Besides comfort Lily. And the girls were handling that.

He had not wanted to let Lily go. It had felt so right holding her. But he realized he was not that much of a comfort. He did not know her parents as Gen, Celeste, and Marci knew them.

In fact, he knew little about them. What comfort could he have been, anyway?

With an angry groan, he sank down in the nearest chair. What on earth were they going to do now? This certainly wasn't going to be the last death of someone close to them, he knew that.

The question was, though, who next? 

James shook his head. He had to get those thoughts out of his mind. At least until after graduation. If he could make it through that now, he was sure he could make it through whatever else would happen.


	49. Chapter 49

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Chapter 49

"Are you OK?"

Lily glanced up from where she was laying on her stomach on her bed. She felt Gen sit down next to her and nodded. "I guess so."

"Can you make it through tomorrow?"

"I'll try." Lily heaved a small sigh, then, her face half pressed into the bed, said, "You know something, Gwen? I'm going to miss this place. So very much."

"Me too." Gen murmured. I don't suppose we could live here afterwards." she said with a half smile. "I mean, I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't mind letting sweet Lily Evans stay here, maybe get a job teaching or something. But me, Celeste, and Marci? No way."

"What, teaching or both?" Lily asked, rolling over on her side to watch Gen entwine her fingers in her hair.

"Both." Gen giggled. "You know how Celeste and I feel about the annoying little firsties. There was NO WAY we were that awful and pompous."

"Well..."

"OK, OK, don't say it!" Gen threw her hands up in defeat. "I CAN get a bit of an attitude. But that usually only happens if we win a big Quidditch match."

Lily managed a tiny smile. "You and James and Quidditch, I swear. But I do have to admit, I love him to pieces for taking care of you. You needed that."

Gen nodded. "But now he gets to take care of you. You know how worried he is about you now, don't you?"

Lily shook her head.

"He's pretty upset. And definitely concerned for you. But he was quite pleased when I told him that you would be moving in with him straight away."

"I knew he would. You know, I don't think I have much reason to go home. I'm sure Petunia took care of everything. Or not, knowing her. But I have to pack. I'll check then."

Gen frowned slightly. This was not the direction she wanted this conversation to go. Wasn't she surprised at what Lily next said.

"Come on. Let's go." Lily said, getting to her feet. "I want to look around the school one last time." she said in answer to Gen's confused expression.

"Sure thing." Gen said with a genuine smile. She and Lily got to their feet and hurried downstairs. They did not linger in the Common Room. Within seconds, they were out in the corridor in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Where are we heading?" Gen asked Lily as she set off, clearly sure of where she wanted to go.

"Just around."

"And if we run into anyone? I don't think we're supposed to be out here, since the hall is pretty barren."

At that moment, Peeves decided that he was going to bother the girls. And he had overheard them.

"Oooh, sneaky sneaky. Especially when we aren't supposed to be out and about!" he cackled, soaring over the girls' heads and throwing wads of parchment at them. "What would happen of Peevsy told Filchy?"

Lily looked at Gen, who had glanced at her as well.

"We would tell the Bloody Baron that you have been the one spreading rumours about him."

Peeves looked to know that they were bluffing, but zoomed off anyway, no doubt in search of a first year to annoy.

"That's one thing I won't miss about this place." Lily muttered. Gen had to agree with that.

Thankfully, the two girls did not bump into anyone as they explored the empty Charms corridor, Transfiguration wing, and headed up to the Astronomy tower, retelling stories of what had happened during the classes over the years.

Most of which involved Peter and a spell gone wrong.

The two of them leaned over the side of the Astronomy tower, staring around at the grounds, which were being transformed to handle their graduation in the morning. Every spell possible was put on every little thing, including weather-proof spells in case it decided to rain on them.

"It's going to be pretty, isn't it?" Lily asked.

"I'm sure it will be. And probably as soon as we're done, it's going to be demolished by everyone heading over to The Three Broomsticks to celebrate."

Lily nodded. The two stood up there for a bit longer before deciding to head back to the Common Room in case someone caught them up there.

And both of them silently hoped that James and Sirius would not go out with a bang. Knowing them, they most certainly would try.


	50. Chapter 50

Love, Honor, Quidditch

Note: Oh, the thing you've all been dreading. Final chapter. But I will tell you that I am thinking of planning on working on a First Year fic. What do you guys say, hmm? Want to read it?

Chapter 50

A very light breeze ruffled the graduating Seventh Years' robes. Everyone was talking and giggling in their groups, not bothering to get in line as McGonagall had instructed them to.

Lily and James were standing together, a bit away from the flurry of the girls commenting on other girls' accessories and hair and whatnot and the boys joking about everything being over and done with.

"Are you sure you're fine with this?"James asked, looking down at Lily, whose eyes were downcast. She nodded.

"I'll be OK. I'm a big girl James." She then smiled. "As if Gen hasn't asked me enough!"

Just then, Gen past by. She paused long enough to give Lily's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, smile at James, and bounce away.

"She's happy." James murmured.

"Mm-hmm. From my understanding, she's taking one of your best mates around later on to look for a place for the two of them."

"Aaah." James said. "No wonder she's pleased."

Lily nodded, her lips twitching in a smile. "Who would have thought?"

James shifted awkwardly but said nothing. HE would have thought. In fact, hadn't he known before the girls about Gen fancying Remus?

He smiled to himself as he took Lily's hand and led her through the crowd. He managed to find Sirius and Peter and Marci. Everyone else was no where to be found.

They would turn up, though. James was sure.

But then McGonagall started ushering the students in a line in alphabetical order. Lily squeezed James's hand before running off near the front of the line.

James scowled as he folded his arms over his chest. He did not like his spot in the line. And from this spot, he was the last one of his friends to be graduating.

Sirius would be first.

James looked down the line. Sirius looked eager to be out of there. Lily was smiling faintly to himself which brought a small smile to his own lips. Celeste was talking to a dark-haired Ravenclaw girl beside her.

Remus was leaning around the two between him and Gen and whispering something to her while Marci stood beside Gen, giggling and nodding to whatever it was Remus was saying. Peter was standing nervously two people away from James.

He sighed. This was going to be a long morning.

Or so he thought. They were led to a makeshift seating area and platform for them. The sea of parents was much larger than what James had thought it would be. He grinned and waved to Remus's parents before looking for his own.

They were smiling softly at him next to a shorter woman with curly blonde hair that matched Marci's.

He looked around again but did not see anymore familiar faces.

He turned his attention Dumbledore, who welcomed the crowd of parents, older siblings, and family friends. Then he started a long speech of how far the Seventh Year students had came and what he expected of them in the future.

Then he turned to the students and added that "The Head Girl and Boy will now share a speech of their own with us."

A speech?! James did not remember being told he had to make a speech!

He looked to Lily, who looked prepared and calm for this. He knew he had to look panicked, but he joined her and listened as she made her speech..

A very touching speech about how her parents were so proud of her and how she knew that they would have loved to have been there and how they expected her to go on and do good.

"Just as I'm sure every parent here wants for their own graduating children." she added with a tiny smile.

James did not pay attention to her. He was quickly thinking of something simple he could maybe stretch into a longer speech.

He couldn't think of anything.

"My turn?" James asked as Lily smiled at him. "OK."

He turned to the eager parents and said, "Well, I don't recall being told I had to make a speech. So I think I will share with you some hysterically funny memories of mine, if that's OK."

And he launched into some tales of Hogwarts school, including hexing the suits of armour to walk around the school and say rude things to those who tried to stop them, setting loose a Niffler in the Great Hall during dinner one evening, and levitating a certain greasy student off the side of the Astronomy Tower.

By the time he finished, he was trying his best to hold in his laughter. McGonagall looked livid while Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with laughter.

Dumbledore immediately took center stage again and said that each student would be presented a diploma by their Head of House.

Surprisingly that did not take as long as one would think. As the last person, a Slytherin by the nake of Milly Zinerton, was given her diploma by Slughorn, the hysterical cackling of a poltergeist at work startled quite a few people.

Peeves grinned at the people staring at him before letting go of what he was holding. Water, live rats, and several evil-looking pale green potions smashed onto the students, all of whom ran away with terror.

James and Sirius managed to get away without a drop of potion or water on them. Both were trying not to crack up.

"James!"

He turned sheepishly and faced Gen, who looked like a drowned mess of black hair.

"I didn't do it!" James said quickly. "OK, maybe I did talk to Peeves, but it was most Sirius!"

Sirius gave Gen his most handsome smile. She merely shook her head, bit her lip, and walked off.

"She didn't yell at me." Sirius said, looking shocked. "Did.. that just happen?"

"Why yes it did." James smiled as Lily waded through ankle deep water to join them. She shook her dripping wet hair out of her face and scowled.

"You HAD to go out this way, didn't you?" she asked. "With rodents and – and -- "

"I didn't let Peeves have a choice in what he dropped!" James said, taking a step back.

Lily frowned, but then her expression softened. "I think I need to head home." she murmured. "I'll see you guys later."

"What, you're not going to The Three Broomsticks?" James asked, grabbing her hand.

"I'm not in a celebrating mood. I figure I might as well get things packed and done with before I put it off so much I won't want to." she said, swishing her red hair over her shoulder.

"I'll go with you." he murmured. "Sirius tell my parents where I've gone."

Sirius nodded and quickly disappeared in the crowd. James took Lily's hand and the two of them left the grounds, pausing for a few minutes in Hogsmeade.

"If you want to stay -- "

"I'll go with you, but wait a moment." James murmured. He thought of what he was going to say. "My parents have found us a place to live. They've got the main things inside already. We'll go there tonight and go to your place tomorrow after we get some rest. What do you say?"

Lily bit her lip but nodded. That sounded like a much better plan than what she had in mind. "Let's go." she said, grabbing his hand. It felt right leaving with James. She sighed as she rested her head against his arm.

James smiled softly. He was thinking the same thing she was. 'This is so right.'


End file.
